Agency drivers

[Bernard_France]

Hello,
I live in France and just joined this forum because I have a special question about trains drivers in UK. At french Regional Authority IDFM (for Ile-de-France trains and transports) we are doing a benchmark and we are wondering if there’s a better way to manage peaks in demand for drivers (for example, during periods when there are a lot of sick leave absences). I found out that in the UK recruitment agencies propose also temporily train drivers.
I’d really like to find out more about how this works and speak to someone who knows about it. Do you perhaps have a contact you could pass on to me, or is anyone here an agency driver?

 

[skyhigh]

Passenger train operators in the UK don't use agency drivers, and I don't think there are any serious proposals to do so.

They do occasionally hire operators such as Rail Operations Group (ROG) to drive one-off trains where they don't have staff with the required route/traction knowledge, for example to move a train between depots. It doesn't happen in passenger service.

 

[Bernard_France]

Ok thanks!
Does anybody other know more about these agency drivers? Are they ever required for freight trains?

 

[HeritageSussex]

There was a passenger operator using freight drivers from one company to run some of their trains in order to meet timetable commitments. However, this was not an ad hoc arrangement I'm sure. The situation is mentioned in this discussion - you'll have to read through as it doesn't appear at the start of the thread.

Transpennine express

They have advertised for qualified drivers for a new depot in Scotland. Can anyone on here tell me a little bit what they are like to work for? Rosters, average turn' rest days etc. And if anyone knows where the depot will be. Thanks

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[driver9000]

There was a passenger operator using freight drivers from one company to run some of their trains in order to meet timetable commitments. However, this was not an ad hoc arrangement I'm sure.

Transpennine express

They have advertised for qualified drivers for a new depot in Scotland. Can anyone on here tell me a little bit what they are like to work for? Rosters, average turn' rest days etc. And if anyone knows where the depot will be. Thanks

www.railforums.co.uk

That is correct, it was Freightliner and it was exclusively for certain West Coast Scottish services (predominantly Carlisle to Glasgow and Edinburgh services which had no balancing journey to or from England). It was a long term contract but they only worked the agreed services and worked to TPE conditions wearing full uniform when doing so. They were brought in house towards the end of 2018 when Transpennine opened its Glasgow Central Drivers depot but some opted to remain with Freightliner.

 

[ac6000cw]

There was a passenger operator using freight drivers from one company to run some of their trains in order to meet timetable commitments.

GBRf provide traction and drivers for the Caledonian Sleeper trains and for the Belmond tour trains (AFAIK both on a long-term, haulage contract, basis).

I suspect the closest the UK may get to 'agency' drivers might be some who work for charter/tour train operators like West Coast Railways?

 

[Horizon22]

Agency drivers don't really exist - mainly because of the training & competency requirements and most drivers don't want to enter such an arranegement. Some charter operators might go to an approach close to this, but it normally involves using freight company drivers due to their wide route knowledge.

For peak operations, rosters are generally well managed to account for this but also operators are more likely to have part-time driver arrangements as opposed to agency.

 

[Economist]

My understanding is that because UK railways use route signalling and much of Europe (including France) generally uses speed signalling, the route learning process in the UK takes a lot longer. Therefore, in the UK it is not possible for agency drivers to be used. Occasionally, freight operators will have their drivers contracted to cover passenger work (I believe TPE used Freightliner drivers in the short-term a few years back) but that's a rare occurrence. It would all need to be agreed through ASLEF (the drivers' union) anyway. If drivers outside of an ASLEF agreement were used I imagine an industrial dispute would kick off in very short order.

Peaks and troughs in demand are managed through spare/cover turns and rest day working (RDW). There will be a certain number of spare drivers who are available to pick up uncovered jobs when the rosters are published, different companies have different agreements about how far a driver can be moved from their booked spare time when the daily rosters are published a few days in advance of the shift. After the daily rosters are published a spare driver is under no obligation to accept a move to a running turn, though may be able to do so if they desire depending on local union agreements. Some companies also have cover turns, which are like spares but can usually only pick a job up on the day during their booked hours. RDW works by having people volunteer to work their days off in exchange for an RDW payment which varies by company, the lowest being flat rate plus a booking-on fee, the highest being around 1.75x the basic rate, both usually have a minimum payment measured in hours. If there is a surplus of volunteers who can catch available turns (based on things like rest between shifts and route/traction knowledge), those who have worked the fewest rest days since the start of the existing agreement will generally be picked first to maintain fairness.

The UK system has a history of understaffing, therefore the wheels of the railway are greased with goodwill and overtime.

 

[stadler]

Back when the 350/1 units were used by Southern on the South Croydon to Milton Keynes Central services they were all driven by EWS (which then became DB Schenker and is known as DB Cargo now) freight drivers. They were not agency drivers but were a case of Southern hiring EWS freight drivers to drive some passenger trains for a short term. But that is the closest thing to agency drivers in the UK that i can think of.

 

[Zontar]

I'm pretty sure loram were offering out zero hour contracts a while ago for drivers

 

[Bernard_France]

Thanks for all your replies!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 May 2026 ==

I'm pretty sure loram were offering out zero hour contracts a while ago for drivers

Do you mean that they had contracts with drivers and only called on them when necessary? (when a customer asked for it?)

 

[bahnause]

Try https://www.tex-holding.com/en/business-areas/tex-rail-operating/ . They are one of the biggest players in this area in europe. We hire quite a lot of train drivers from them. The contracts can be adapted to the needs of a TOC.

 

[357]

Do you mean that they had contracts with drivers and only called on them when necessary? (when a customer asked for it?)

I have myself been offered a job that was zero hours, I also worked for a TOC for a while where I was a part time driver.

The zero hours job could have been in addition to my existing TOC employment, or if I wanted to leave the railway but keep my train driving licence it is a good option in that situation too.

Even zero hours drivers can't really do zero hours though, as they need to maintain their qualifications on the routes and train types that they drive.

 

[Zontar]

Thanks for all your replies!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 May 2026 ==


Do you mean that they had contracts with drivers and only called on them when necessary? (when a customer asked for it?)

Basically means they don't have to guarantee them work and they can terminate the contract at any moment.

 

[Harpo]

Basically means they don't have to guarantee them work and they can terminate the contract at any moment.

The notice period will be whatever the T&Cs state as it’s still an employment contract. RAIB gave zero hours contracts a definition in the terminology section of their report for the 2016 WCRC incident at Wootton Bassett -

A contract of employment under which work is undertaken conditional on the employer making it available but where there is no certainty that such work will be made available.

But, as @357 notes, it should never truly be zero as there is a constant training/briefing requirement when safety management systems are properly followed.

 

[Bernard_France]

I have myself been offered a job that was zero hours, I also worked for a TOC for a while where I was a part time driver.

The zero hours job could have been in addition to my existing TOC employment, or if I wanted to leave the railway but keep my train driving licence it is a good option in that situation too.

Even zero hours drivers can't really do zero hours though, as they need to maintain their qualifications on the routes and train types that they drive.

Hello 357,
again one question: Your zero hours job (in addition to your existing TOC employment), so was it used sometimes for any driving? Was it short time organised or just long terme planning? Was it for other passenger trains ?

 

[357]

Hello 357,
again one question: Your zero hours job (in addition to your existing TOC employment), so was it used sometimes for any driving? Was it short time organised or just long terme planning? Was it for other passenger trains ?

Hi,

Unfortunately the TOC I work for full-time refused my request to take this second job, even though it would have only been a few times a year on my days off.

The job I was offered was doing stock moves, rail tours, excursions and ad-hoc type work.

I was told most moves are planned 1-2 weeks in advance.

Happy to discuss in more detail via private message

 

[Bernard_France]

Thanks, yes I would like to discuss more, just I cannot send you a private message (looks like not permitted). Perhaps you can send me a message?

 

[Harpo]

The big problem with having multiple jobs in industries with safety constraints on hours, is the difficulty of monitoring hours, rest periods etc. across all employers. I can see why a main employer wouldn’t agree to a second job.

 

[357]

The big problem with having multiple jobs in industries with safety constraints on hours, is the difficulty of monitoring hours, rest periods etc. across all employers. I can see why a main employer wouldn’t agree to a second job.

It's always been made clear at every TOC I have worked for that it is my responsibility to monitor my hours and not the management or rosters.

The same thing has always applied to those who drive on heritage railways etc too.

 

[LCC106]

It’s also important to understand that although an employer is under no obligation to offer work under a zero hours contract, an employee is under no obligation to work it either - whether due to other commitments or they plainly and simply don’t want to.

 

[D365]

Thanks, yes I would like to discuss more, just I cannot send you a private message (looks like not permitted). Perhaps you can send me a message?

If you haven’t done so already, you should be able to send private messages now, as you now have five public posts on the forum.