Is joining the railway mainly for the money the wrong motivation?

[345_ashwood]

I'm interested primarily to hear the views of current train drivers on this.

Do you think there's anything wrong with someone wanting to become a train driver primarily because of the salary and benefits, rather than having a particular passion for trains or the railway?

Obviously, regardless of someone's motivation for applying, they'd still need to take the safety-critical responsibilities seriously, follow the rules and procedures, maintain competence and do the job professionally.

But do experienced drivers think people should have a genuine interest in the railway itself, or is wanting a well-paid, secure career a perfectly legitimate reason to join?

I'm particularly interested in whether you've noticed any difference in attitude or performance between people who joined because they genuinely wanted to work on the railway and those who were mainly attracted by the pay.

 

[NSEWonderer]

Its with any job, its perfectly understandable to have money as the main priority for a job but if its the only one then soon enough that money won't be enough especially if one is not careful and increases their expenditure right near or above that pay threshold. Having something additional in any job ontop of the money or even as more of a priority I find can make a job feel less of a job and more of a way of passing time and earning money on too.

Every job eventually gets monotonous, you just end up getting a level of experience and routine that its quite inevitable, those with interests other than money can extend the time in which the feelings of being trapped in a "golden handcuff job", fellings of resentment, boredom and etc.

Personally for me I've always wanted to be a driver or a pilot and still have plans to complete the dup, im actively already a train driver and love it. The joy of just moving around in my office, picking up passengers all with their different lives and journeys and being part of that, waving and tooting the whistle to trainspotters old and young, I mean what other transport job do you have everyday normal people taking time out of their day to wait and wave at you

The Salary is great I still live off my old job Salary as close as I can, always been a hard rule for me to stay grounded, so the majority hits the Bonds, Isas and investments. Job security is great especially with Aslef. I personally can't complain

 

[trentside]

If your main motivation is financial and you don’t actually understand what the job entails it can be a big mistake. Driving in particular is isolating and on occasions monotonous. That’s not saying it’s a bad job, but it doesn’t suit everyone. I’ve known drivers who absolutely despise the job, but are financially trapped by it. They often attempt to get in to management with varying degrees of success.

 

[Horizon22]

Joining any job "mainly for the money" is the wrong motivation.

Yes it is likely to be a large factor, but going to a job where you may spend a 1/2 of your waking hours miserable, disappointed or unfulfilled has a price that money can't buy. As a train driver you certainly don't need a passion for the railways and many don't, but that doesn't mean that they are therefore automatically unhappy otherwise. There's a reasonable medium to think your job is fine, not be passionate about it but also not hate it.

Being a driver is a lifestyle commitment, especially for those who have never done any type of shift work and applying only for the money and benefits will be problematic.

 

[GingerRH]

Aside from drivers, I’ve seen a huge uptake in new signallers who have only applied because of the salary listed, since recruitment went onto Indeed and other sites a few years ago.

They have of course managed to pass the recruitment process and Signalling school without any knowledge of the railway or job.

Will that make them a worse at Signalling trains? Maybe, maybe not. The skills needed don’t require experience of the railway or an interest in it. But will it make them a good Signaller? No, you end up having no concept of reality or the actual trains you’re working with, or the people on platforms. You just see red lines and want to move them as efficient as possible.

Do I dislike people working only for the money? Absolutely not.

Do I dislike people who are awful at their job? Absolutely.

Would I take someone with only interest in the money who could signal trains, over a train spotter who spends more time reading unit numbers on the GSMR and is awful at the job? I absolutely would.

Who cares what their intentions are as long as they do a good job.

 

[mickey]

I know of several airlines that actively avoid recruiting enthusiasts, because it can ‘cloud’ how they think. Given that no one in the world joins that industry for the money (other than pilots!) it’s only really the benefits that draw enough outsiders in to keep it running.

 

[Horizon22]

They have of course managed to pass the recruitment process and Signalling school without any knowledge of the railway or job.

I sincerely doubt that after passing they have done so "without any knowledge of the job"!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Sep 2026 ==

But will it make them a good Signaller? No, you end up having no concept of reality or the actual trains you’re working with, or the people on platforms. You just see red lines and want to move them as efficient as possible.

Well signallers need to understand the railway and what it actually means to move passengers (not just trains!), regardless of their background. This should be done in training or relevant site visits on their patch to understand stations / control rooms / depots and see what the impact of their actions are alongside the staff they interact with rather than being that distant individual on the other side of a phone/GSMR. Such a understanding can be hugely beneficial and complements the rules, regulations and procedures that they obviously require.

 

[IndegoMouse]

...

 

[Falcon1200]

Well signallers need to understand the railway and what it actually means to move passengers (not just trains!), regardless of their background. This should be done in training or relevant site visits on their patch to understand stations / control rooms / depots and see what the impact of their actions are alongside the staff they interact with rather than being that distant individual on the other side of a phone/GSMR. Such a understanding can be hugely beneficial and complements the rules, regulations and procedures that they obviously require.

I could not agree more! And this applies to all railway roles: In my Control Office we welcomed visits, as long as we were not dealing with a major incident at the time (although that in itself could be an eye-opener). And conversely, Controllers spending time in Signalling Centres or taking cab rides is beneficial also.

When I joined BR in 1978 it was mainly through interest in the railway. I later transferred from a Booking Office role to Control for the same reason, however the greater financial benefits were a factor too, especially as one (hopefully) progressed upwards through the ranks.

I recall an episode of the TV show Pointless, when a pair of contestants who worked for the railway were asked whether they were interested in trains, to which the reply was a definite No. Personally I can't think of anything worse that spending an entire career with no interest in the job..... No matter what the pay!

 

[md81]

im attempting to become a driver but its taking a long time, currently 18 months. in my current work I rarely take things home and ive got used to that, and its this attitude which I think is healthier than being money or work obsessed. The objective is to be very good at work and at home and simply doing things for money or for your passion is not enough. You must have a balance in my opinion. I dont want to dream of trains all night, I want to plan a holiday and it might involve taking a train. I have used the shinkansen a few times.

 

[AverageJoe]

Certain parts of the job appeal to me and I enjoy them such as an ever changing view, working alone, the wage.

I’m no enthusiast though and if the wage wasn’t what is was I’d be looking for a Monday - Friday, 9-5 job.

Those that tend to be enthusiast I find retain certain information well as it is enjoyable for them. Things like traction knowledge and keeping up with rule book amendments.

Of course I do these things but it is effort for me and not enjoyable.

 

[Harpo]

I recall an episode of the TV show Pointless, when a pair of contestants who worked for the railway were asked whether they were interested in trains, to which the reply was a definite No.

‘Trains’ is a classic outsider take on those interested in railways and one stereotyping notch down from train spotter.

From my own career enthusiasts, or those pursuing any railway interests outside of work, are a tiny minority of the workforce and tend to congregate in ops roles unless they follow other professions. (Broad generalisation.)

 

[Falcon1200]

From my own career enthusiasts, or those pursuing any railway interests outside of work, are a tiny minority of the workforce

From my experience a fair few railway staff are also enthusiasts, to varying degrees, including some you would not at first expect! Perhaps because overt keenness was frowned upon and sometimes even mocked by others. I was however in an operational role for most of my career.

 

[whoosh]

Having enthusiasm in railways isn't necessary.
Having enthusiasm for doing a good job - having a good attitude towards the job, is very desirable.



Weighing up the pros and cons - yes the pay is good, yes the travel benefits and pension are good, but the unsocial hours... both the times of the day, and the days of the week with many Saturdays being worked, are they palatable long term?
This isn't an exhaustive list - there's lots of pros and cons.

If the positives outweigh the negatives, then I don't see any problem with applying, regardless of whether you have an interest in railways.

A couple of examples - I can think of two trainee drivers off the top of my head, who were previously platform staff and have gone for the trainee drivers role for a career progression, including better pay. Importantly, they are enthusiastic to do the job well, but they don't have an interest in railways.

Again, there are another two people I can think of off the top of my head, who were external to the company and applied to become trainee drivers as they liked the pay, conditions and benefits and thought they'd give it a go. These two are Driver Instructors now. They don't have an enthusiasm for railways, but they do their job enthusiastically whilst they are here.

Attitude goes a long way!

 

[Horizon22]

I think there's a difference between being an enthusiast for trains (e.g. spotters, bashers, keeping a track of new units and knowing all about the history) and also being enthusiastic about your work and enjoying your role as @whoosh alludes to. Working within and having an appreciation for the railway / trains / [insert industry] can actually be healthy. What people want to do in their spare time, doesn't neccesarily need to concern me or anyone else.

As some have stated, rail enthusiasts can make some of the worst employees...

 

[Waterlooville]

Another way to think about it - what if the motivation is to better your life and set you up forever? I applied on a whim last year to a TOC for a trainee driver role to try and get out the police, which I am due to retire from in 4 years after 30 years service. But, I will be 49. The punt paid off and I am about to start training.

The money was never a factor for me, all be it, it was the only bit I had to make sure was equal to or above what I currently earn (I am on almost the same wage as a fully qualified driver currently so it won't be much difference when I qualify, in fact a drop for the first year.) My depot also has London weighting so I will be mid 80's once I get my key after 14 months odd. But my motivation is to get out and as far away from the police as possible, and I am sacrificing a cushy life, a good wage and a huge chunk of my pension to do so early, purely because things are that bad now. I am surrounded by people who are miserable, desperate to leave but unable to break free, so the fact I have managed to do it is in itself my greatest achievement.

So yes money is a factor however for me it is setting me and my family up for life, and getting out of one of the most toxic and unhealthy environments that exists in modern working civil service life.