London Underground - CSA1 / CSA2 - Recruitment and Discussion

[PizzaKing52]

So I had my role play and scenario based interview today and I just hope that I feel satisfied enough to be able to pass

 

[markazz]

this is super helpful, thank you. Have you been booked in for OH yet?


fantastic, thank you!!

not yet - hopefully I'll get the call to book OH soon.

 

[GoldenChef]

not yet - hopefully I'll get the call to book OH soon.

Yes, I think you’ll be booked in soon too, let us know when you are!

chasing reed certainly helped as 2/3 of my had the emails sent to them following my phone call.

 

[markazz]

Yes, I think you’ll be booked in soon too, let us know when you are!

chasing reed certainly helped as 2/3 of my had the emails sent to them following my phone call.

good to hear - I think about 1 month ahead of you and about 1 month behind @Queenie although when I spoke to the onboarding team last month they said that it isn't linear, there may well have been a 'bulge' of October conditional offers ahead of me and it is very dependant on availability of training spaces - and they have priority which is absolutely correct. Anecdotally, I was speaking to a CSS (I won't say where for confidentiality) who told me that there are lots of CSA vacancies and the bottle neck is the training spaces. It only takes one missed training group due to illness etc and it can push us back several weeks.

Fingers crossed we both get a call soon.

 

[GoldenChef]

good to hear - I think about 1 month ahead of you and about 1 month behind @Queenie although when I spoke to the onboarding team last month they said that it isn't linear, there may well have been a 'bulge' of October conditional offers ahead of me and it is very dependant on availability of training spaces - and they have priority which is absolutely correct. Anecdotally, I was speaking to a CSS (I won't say where for confidentiality) who told me that there are lots of CSA vacancies and the bottle neck is the training spaces. It only takes one missed training group due to illness etc and it can push us back several weeks.

Fingers crossed we both get a call soon.

I have just got off the phone high volumes, they said they will be getting dates in March to book in OH and recommended I call then, she had kind of thrown it out there that I can expect training dated nearer summer/autumn, of course there are many factors involved with this.

Your timeline sounds about right to me lol.

 

[Zb0905]

good to hear - I think about 1 month ahead of you and about 1 month behind @Queenie although when I spoke to the onboarding team last month they said that it isn't linear, there may well have been a 'bulge' of October conditional offers ahead of me and it is very dependant on availability of training spaces - and they have priority which is absolutely correct. Anecdotally, I was speaking to a CSS (I won't say where for confidentiality) who told me that there are lots of CSA vacancies and the bottle neck is the training spaces. It only takes one missed training group due to illness etc and it can push us back several weeks.

Fingers crossed we both get a call soon.

Did they say where they need csa

 

[markazz]

Did they say where they need csa

not specifically - just a general availability of vacancies

 

[jimmycconway]

Did they say where they need csa

It's almost 300 stations on the Underground network; I'm sure even if he did give an answer, he'd still be inaccurate because vacancies and space can change every day. We all will find out our stations in training, so it's best we just wait for that day.

 

[Zb0905]

It's almost 300 stations on the Underground network; I'm sure even if he did give an answer, he'd still be inaccurate because vacancies and space can change every day. We all will find out our stations in training, so it's best we just wait for that day.

I meant as it what zone 1 stations really need csa 2

 

[GoldenChef]

I meant as it what zone 1 stations really need csa 2

It’ll vary but busy stations like kings x, stratford, maybe tcr, or other central london stations are common for csa 2’s to go, but it’s hard to say coz business needs vary so greatly. also bare in mind you can swap on day 1/2 of training

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 Feb 2026 ==

my reed checks have come back all come back green ticks, waiting to be booked for OH now

 

[Zb0905]

It’ll vary but busy stations like kings x, stratford, maybe tcr, or other central london stations are common for csa 2’s to go, but it’s hard to say coz business needs vary so greatly. also bare in mind you can swap on day 1/2 of training

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 Feb 2026 ==

my reed checks have come back all come back green ticks, waiting to be booked for OH now

Honestly call them they’ll book it for you that’s what I done to see of up the process

 

[GoldenChef]

Honestly call them they’ll book it for you that’s what I done to see of up the process

I did actually lol she said I’m on a waitlist so will try start of March

What did OH involve for you btw?

 

[Zb0905]

I did actually lol she said I’m on a waitlist so will try start of March

What did OH involve for you btw?

Just hearing and sight test and to stand with your leg slightly raised very easy and to test your peripheral vision

 

[markazz]

It’ll vary but busy stations like kings x, stratford, maybe tcr, or other central london stations are common for csa 2’s to go, but it’s hard to say coz business needs vary so greatly. also bare in mind you can swap on day 1/2 of training

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 Feb 2026 ==

my reed checks have come back all come back green ticks, waiting to be booked for OH now

Great news that you've gone 'green' on all the checks - we're at the same stage now. Btw, I only went all green 2 weeks ago so you're catching up with me. I'm hoping to get the call soon for OH

 

[itsm4]

Hi all, hope everyone is well!

After a long time coming now (CSA1 Night tube offer in September 2024) I have finally received a training date for 16th March!!!

Do I need to bring like a suitcase or anything else for my first day - I've seen here that people do that for their new uniforms etc...
What can I expect to receive on Day 1?

And does anyone else have their training start on the 16th - can't wait to meet you guys!

 

[Zb0905]

Hi all, hope everyone is well!

After a long time coming now (CSA1 Night tube offer in September 2024) I have finally received a training date for 16th March!!!

Do I need to bring like a suitcase or anything else for my first day - I've seen here that people do that for their new uniforms etc...
What can I expect to receive on Day 1?

And does anyone else have their training start on the 16th - can't wait to meet you guys!

Wow you waiting 2 year for a date

 

[GoldenChef]

Great news that you've gone 'green' on all the checks - we're at the same stage now. Btw, I only went all green 2 weeks ago so you're catching up with me. I'm hoping to get the call soon for OH

You should get a call next week as more dates will be released.

 

[markazz]

You should get a call next week as more dates will be released.

I hope so - I really can't wait to get started.

 

[cid291]

I got a date for my OH for mid march. Hoping to get a start day in May

 

[markazz]

I got a date for my OH for mid march. Hoping to get a start day in May

Same - mid March for OH so I'm hopefully on for a May start too.

 

[hass21ik]

Hello everyone,
I’ve received an email confirming my training start date last Monday, Feb 16th. How long should I expect to wait before pre-employment screening starts?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 Feb 2026 ==

It was literally 8 weeks for me too, after a lot of back and forth with onboarding (they kept losing my docs somehow).

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Feb 2026 ==


if you don’t mind me asking, when did you do roleplay & sbi?

I assume it was this year?

Sorry only just saw this, my SBI and roleplay were back in December.

 

[Queenie]

Hello everyone,
I’ve received an email confirming my training start date last Monday, Feb 16th. How long should I expect to wait before pre-employment screening starts?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 Feb 2026 ==


Sorry only just saw this, my SBI and roleplay were back in December.

You got a training date without doing the Reed stuff? That seems abit odd, I would call them up

 

[Mawkie]

Do you know what’s it like to have overtime for a new starter what’s the rate of that

Current Salaries:

CSA1 full time = £45,641
OT rate = £32.25

CSA2 full time = £36,469
OT rate = £24.97

Salary will increase in April '26 due to being the 2nd year of the 3 year pay deal.

 

[Queenie]

Current Salaries:

CSA1 full time = £45,641
OT rate = £32.25

CSA2 full time = £36,469
OT rate = £24.97

Salary will increase in April '26 due to being the 2nd year of the 3 year pay deal.

Does that count for new starters? I signed my contract not long ago and it didn’t have the new rate on it, it has £35270

 

[Mawkie]

Does that count for new starters? I signed my contract not long ago and it didn’t have the new rate on it, it has £35270

They are using the 2024 figures, you will get the 2025 figures - and as mentioned above, your salary will increase in April '26, and again in '27.

(If I remember correctly though, training rate is 80% of full time rate.)

Edit: 3 year pay deal copied below.

Our Ref: LUL/0001

4th November 2025

Dear RMT Member

RATES OF PAY & CONDITIONS OF SERVICE 2025 - LONDON UNDERGROUND

The meeting between all LUL IR Reps, your Lead Officer, the National Executive Committee and Senior Assistant General Secretary took place earlier today to discuss the final offer received from LUL, in bold below:

Year 1 - A 3.4% increase, effective 1st April 2025 (equivalent to February 2025 RPI)

Year 2 - A RPI at February 2026 increase, effective 1st April 2026, with a guaranteed minimum award of 3%

Year 3 - A RPI at February 2027 + 0.2% increase, effective 1st April 2027, with a guaranteed minimum award of 2.5%

The minimum and maximum of all pay bands and ranges will increase by 3.4% in year one, increasing again by the level of the pay award in both years 2 and 3.

LUL will pay £400 payment, in addition to normal salary, to all staff who work a rostered duty or authorised overtime at any time on Boxing Day, where members do not already receive a more favourable arrangement.

The offer is unconditional, with no requirement for productivity savings.

LUL will continue its discussions with the Rail Delivery Group regarding staff leisure travel.

Further discussions have now also taken place with LUL over the issues of fatigue, rosters and vacancies. LUL confirmed that it is actively filling vacancies in Customer Operations and arrangements are in place for training new starters. Stations vacancies will be filled through two upcoming recruitment campaigns. LUL has also agreed to withdraw the current 95% cap on headcount in Fleet and 100 positions will be filled. In accordance with our existing collective arrangements, LUL has committed to ensuring that an annual headcount review takes place in all functional areas going forward. An initial review will take place at the LUCC in the new year and any issues which are identified will be referred to the relevant Functional Council.

LUL reiterated its commitment to discussions to make rosters more fatigue friendly and has advised that any review would be focused on achieving mutually beneficial changes that address members' work life balance concerns, including issues regarding fragmented duties.

The views expressed at the meeting today include that this final offer represents an improvement on the previous offer in the following respects:

The offer now includes three years at RPI with an additional 0.2% in year 3. While 0.2% represents a very limited “above RPI” element, it will give 3 years' protection from real terms pay erosion, when the government is seeking to restrict public sector pay rises to CPI.

A minimum uplift of 3% in 2026 and 2.5% in 2027 offers the possibility of a further above RPI increase, should RPI fall significantly. These minimums provide a degree of certainty going forwards. There is no upper cap should RPI increase.

Pay bands will be inflated by the full value of the award in all three years. This represents an important defeat of LUL's plans to freeze pay bands or apply a “discretionary” approach to inflating pay bands. For our affected members this represents a significant safeguard of their future pay rises.

The Boxing Day arrangement will benefit around 80% of our members and is not in return for any productivity or other demands.

Overall, the pay offer represents significant progress and is made on an unconditional basis with no requirement for productivity savings. Additional progress has been made on Boxing Day payments and the inflation of pay bands. The consensus of the meeting today was for an acceptance of the offer and the National Executive Committee has now endorsed this position.

I have now advised LUL that the pay offer in bold above, is accepted by RMT and I have asked that the increase, and all backdated monies, are paid to members at the earliest opportunity.

Finally, a huge thank you and congratulations to you all for enabling your Union to reach this resolution and secure an inflation-proof pay rise until 2028. It is due to your solidarity and support during the strike action which led to further negotiations with LUL and ultimately to this improved offer being received
Yours sincerely,

Eddie Dempsey
General Secretary

 

[Zb0905]

Current Salaries:

CSA1 full time = £45,641
OT rate = £32.25

CSA2 full time = £36,469
OT rate = £24.97

Salary will increase in April '26 due to being the 2nd year of the 3 year pay deal.

Lovely stuff

 

[markazz]

You got a training date without doing the Reed stuff? That seems abit odd, I would call them up

I agree, I completed all my Reed screening over 3 weeks ago and am still awaiting a start date for training. I only received my appointment date for OH this week and that is not until mid March.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Feb 2026 ==

Hello everyone,
I’ve received an email confirming my training start date last Monday, Feb 16th. How long should I expect to wait before pre-employment screening starts?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 Feb 2026 ==


Sorry only just saw this, my SBI and roleplay were back in December.

You've done really well getting your start date already, I received my conditional offer back in November so you are being fast tracked if you received the offer in December - I'm envious!

 

[Queenie]

They are using the 2024 figures, you will get the 2025 figures - and as mentioned above, your salary will increase in April '26, and again in '27.

(If I remember correctly though, training rate is 80% of full time rate.)

Edit: 3 year pay deal copied below.

Our Ref: LUL/0001

4th November 2025

Dear RMT Member

RATES OF PAY & CONDITIONS OF SERVICE 2025 - LONDON UNDERGROUND

The meeting between all LUL IR Reps, your Lead Officer, the National Executive Committee and Senior Assistant General Secretary took place earlier today to discuss the final offer received from LUL, in bold below:

Year 1 - A 3.4% increase, effective 1st April 2025 (equivalent to February 2025 RPI)

Year 2 - A RPI at February 2026 increase, effective 1st April 2026, with a guaranteed minimum award of 3%

Year 3 - A RPI at February 2027 + 0.2% increase, effective 1st April 2027, with a guaranteed minimum award of 2.5%

The minimum and maximum of all pay bands and ranges will increase by 3.4% in year one, increasing again by the level of the pay award in both years 2 and 3.

LUL will pay £400 payment, in addition to normal salary, to all staff who work a rostered duty or authorised overtime at any time on Boxing Day, where members do not already receive a more favourable arrangement.

The offer is unconditional, with no requirement for productivity savings.

LUL will continue its discussions with the Rail Delivery Group regarding staff leisure travel.

Further discussions have now also taken place with LUL over the issues of fatigue, rosters and vacancies. LUL confirmed that it is actively filling vacancies in Customer Operations and arrangements are in place for training new starters. Stations vacancies will be filled through two upcoming recruitment campaigns. LUL has also agreed to withdraw the current 95% cap on headcount in Fleet and 100 positions will be filled. In accordance with our existing collective arrangements, LUL has committed to ensuring that an annual headcount review takes place in all functional areas going forward. An initial review will take place at the LUCC in the new year and any issues which are identified will be referred to the relevant Functional Council.

LUL reiterated its commitment to discussions to make rosters more fatigue friendly and has advised that any review would be focused on achieving mutually beneficial changes that address members' work life balance concerns, including issues regarding fragmented duties.

The views expressed at the meeting today include that this final offer represents an improvement on the previous offer in the following respects:

The offer now includes three years at RPI with an additional 0.2% in year 3. While 0.2% represents a very limited “above RPI” element, it will give 3 years' protection from real terms pay erosion, when the government is seeking to restrict public sector pay rises to CPI.

A minimum uplift of 3% in 2026 and 2.5% in 2027 offers the possibility of a further above RPI increase, should RPI fall significantly. These minimums provide a degree of certainty going forwards. There is no upper cap should RPI increase.

Pay bands will be inflated by the full value of the award in all three years. This represents an important defeat of LUL's plans to freeze pay bands or apply a “discretionary” approach to inflating pay bands. For our affected members this represents a significant safeguard of their future pay rises.

The Boxing Day arrangement will benefit around 80% of our members and is not in return for any productivity or other demands.

Overall, the pay offer represents significant progress and is made on an unconditional basis with no requirement for productivity savings. Additional progress has been made on Boxing Day payments and the inflation of pay bands. The consensus of the meeting today was for an acceptance of the offer and the National Executive Committee has now endorsed this position.

I have now advised LUL that the pay offer in bold above, is accepted by RMT and I have asked that the increase, and all backdated monies, are paid to members at the earliest opportunity.

Finally, a huge thank you and congratulations to you all for enabling your Union to reach this resolution and secure an inflation-proof pay rise until 2028. It is due to your solidarity and support during the strike action which led to further negotiations with LUL and ultimately to this improved offer being received
Yours sincerely,

Eddie Dempsey
General Secretary

Oh right just realised you said April! Thank you

 

[Zb0905]

Current Salaries:

CSA1 full time = £45,641
OT rate = £32.25

CSA2 full time = £36,469
OT rate = £24.97

Salary will increase in April '26 due to being the 2nd year of the 3 year pay deal.

So this will be implemented from this April this is the new salary

 

[Mawkie]

So this will be implemented from this April this is the new salary

I had a feeling the other poster didn't really understand, but cba to respond again.

The current salaries (from April 2025) are:

CSA1 full time = £45,641
OT rate = £32.25

CSA2 full time = £36,469
OT rate = £24.97

The RMT negotiatiated a 3 year pay deal.

Year 1 is from April 2025-Mar 2026 (current year).

Year 2 starts in April 2026 - Mar 2027 (a few weeks time). We won't know the actual rate increase as the February RPI figure isn't released until late March this year, but is a minimum of 3%. Most people in this forum will start on this uplifted salary of at least £37,563. (If RPI is suddenly 5%, then that will be the new salary.)

Year 3 runs from April 2027 - Mar 2028 and is a minimum of 2.5%

Isn't it great to be in a Union!