XC Vs ScotRail

[sktt25]

I am in the fortunate position of waiting on a start date for both of these TOCs as a trainee train driver. I am aware that I could be waiting a while and may only end up with an offer from one.

XC is out of Edinburgh Waverley and ScotRail is also based out of Waverly, but I could also be asked to work out of Bathgate or Leven as I live within half an hour or so of those depots also.

Admittedly, the routes for XC seem a lot more appealing to me and as far as I'm aware the shift pattern is the same at both TOCs with a long weekend every three weeks. XC is about £15k more however the money isn't much of an issue because either way that would be life changing for me.

Just wondered if anybody has worked for both, did you have a preference, what were the differences etc.

Also, if anybody has worked out of Leven for ScotRail could possibly let me know what their experience of that is like that would be great. Thanks!

 

[Tyrion]

Driving?

XC Edinburgh very good local management team and brilliant depot with a lot of experience!
At end of day your main aim is to get in door and get your key but for me it would be XC all day. Every time XC advertise for Qualifieds a high proportion of Scotrail Edinburgh and Bathgate apply and whilst money is a motivation, it is mostly the worl content and how they are treated.

Good luck

 

[sktt25]

Apologies yes as a trainee train driver. Thanks for the info mate. I've heard good things about XC Edinburgh and felt I connected with the driver managers well. In terms of how they are treated, would that just be a case of XC feeling a bit more personal as there are less drivers?

 

[Economist]

Would recommend XC, I'm at the other end of the country but would second the very good culture and work content.

Where I am the neighbouring TOCs seem to have a bit of a punishment culture regarding operational incidents etc. at least that's what the folk who work at those TOCs tell me. I know people who've had incidents at XC and whilst there is a process to follow just like anywhere else, the way they are treated seems to be more human. Can't say about ScotRail because I don't know anyone who works for them but I see very few people leaving XC to go driving elsewhere.

Edited to add that if you join XC your training will likely be in Derby but there again you're probably aware of this.

 

[43066]

Would recommend XC, I'm at the other end of the country but would second the very good culture and work content.

Where I am the neighbouring TOCs seem to have a bit of a punishment culture regarding operational incidents etc. at least that's what the folk who work at those TOCs tell me. I know people who've had incidents at XC and whilst there is a process to follow just like anywhere else, the way they are treated seems to be more human. Can't say about ScotRail because I don't know anyone who works for them but I see very few people leaving XC to go driving elsewhere.

Edited to add that if you join XC your training will likely be in Derby but there again you're probably aware of this.

Good to hear it’s going well for you mate, and hopefully still better than where you began your railway career?

I’m in for another move shortly myself shortly. Needs to be done somtimes, to keep things interesting.

 

[sktt25]

Would recommend XC, I'm at the other end of the country but would second the very good culture and work content.

Where I am the neighbouring TOCs seem to have a bit of a punishment culture regarding operational incidents etc. at least that's what the folk who work at those TOCs tell me. I know people who've had incidents at XC and whilst there is a process to follow just like anywhere else, the way they are treated seems to be more human. Can't say about ScotRail because I don't know anyone who works for them but I see very few people leaving XC to go driving elsewhere.

Edited to add that if you join XC your training will likely be in Derby but there again you're probably aware of this.

Thanks for replying mate. All I'm hearing about XC is fantastic things and if I was so lucky to be offered both at once then I am definitely swaying towards XC at the moment.

I also know a few guys that work with ScotRail and they love it so it is a win/win it seems!

I've heard the training is in Derby Vs with ScotRail it's about an hour away in Glasgow. However, it's only for approx 5-6 months and I don't have any kids to seek out childcare for so it's not a deciding factor really

 

[Economist]

Good to hear it’s going well for you mate, and hopefully still better than where you began your railway career?

I’m in for another move shortly myself shortly. Needs to be done somtimes, to keep things interesting.

Thanks mate, everything just feels like the next level up compared to suburban DOO at the previous place, miss a few of the characters but that's pretty much it.

Thanks for replying mate. All I'm hearing about XC is fantastic things and if I was so lucky to be offered both at once then I am definitely swaying towards XC at the moment.

I also know a few guys that work with ScotRail and they love it so it is a win/win it seems!

I've heard the training is in Derby Vs with ScotRail it's about an hour away in Glasgow. However, it's only for approx 5-6 months and I don't have any kids to seek out childcare for so it's not a deciding factor really

No worries, to be fair train driving is certainly one of the better careers out there, you wouldn't think it given the amount of moaning that sometimes happens in our messrooms but secretly most of us love it!

 

[sktt25]

No worries, to be fair train driving is certainly one of the better careers out there, you wouldn't think it given the amount of moaning that sometimes happens in our messrooms but secretly most of us love it!

Cheers mate, I am looking forward to it!

 

[chuff chuff]

I'd say XC work content would be the one to pick as coming into scotrail Edinburgh waverley you'd be stuck down the lower links for quite a number of years.

 

[RossMc]

In Scotrail, if for whatever reason you can no longer be a driver (medical reasons, too many mistakes, change your mind, whatever), you will be offered a job elsewhere. Conductor, Ticket examiner etc etc.

In XC, you wouldn't be. Can no longer be a driver, there's the door. Ie no job security. Unlike Scotrail.

Worth considering.

Whats the trainee / qualified salary at XC? £15k more sounds a bit optimistic to me.

 

[sktt25]

I'd say XC work content would be the one to pick as coming into scotrail Edinburgh waverley you'd be stuck down the lower links for quite a number of years.

What's bad about the lower links?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Feb 2025 ==

In Scotrail, if for whatever reason you can no longer be a driver (medical reasons, too many mistakes, change your mind, whatever), you will be offered a job elsewhere. Conductor, Ticket examiner etc etc.

In XC, you wouldn't be. Can no longer be a driver, there's the door. Ie no job security. Unlike Scotrail.

Worth considering.

Whats the trainee / qualified salary at XC? £15k more sounds a bit optimistic to me.

I believe top wage for ScotRail 60k and XC is 75k. Not including Sundays for either

 

[Cails27]

I'd say XC work content would be the one to pick as coming into scotrail Edinburgh waverley you'd be stuck down the lower links for quite a number of years.

There’s actually been a fair bit of link restructuring at ScotRail Waverley over the last couple of years. Links 2 and 3 are in the process of being merged and nowadays all newly qualified drivers go into Link 2 where the work content and routes signed provide excellent variation. Personally I’d rather lots of variety of routes and traction signed over Edinburgh to Leeds on a voyager every day.

 

[chuff chuff]

There’s actually been a fair bit of link restructuring at ScotRail Waverley over the last couple of years. Links 2 and 3 are in the process of being merged and nowadays all newly qualified drivers go into Link 2 where the work content and routes signed provide excellent variation. Personally I’d rather lots of variety of routes and traction signed over Edinburgh to Leeds on a voyager every day.

I'd rather have lots of variation as well but most have had a reduction in routes over the past few years so any change to that is a good thing.Can remember many moaning of three circles and North Berwick in a shift.

 

[scotraildriver]

In Scotrail, if for whatever reason you can no longer be a driver (medical reasons, too many mistakes, change your mind, whatever), you will be offered a job elsewhere. Conductor, Ticket examiner etc etc.

In XC, you wouldn't be. Can no longer be a driver, there's the door. Ie no job security. Unlike Scotrail.

Worth considering.

Whats the trainee / qualified salary at XC? £15k more sounds a bit optimistic to me.

Remember you will also go onto the sliding scale if you have to take another post, meaning you will retain most of your drivers salary in another grade. It's a massive safety net. There were at least 2 people who jumped ship to Transpennine and then couldn't drive a train due to medical issues and were faced with losing their job or moving to England to get another post. ScotRail is a job for life, even if it's not always driving. Cross country might not be if you have problems.

 

[sktt25]

Cheers for the advice guys that's handy to know. Would it be possible to tell me a bit more about the links for ScotRail at Waverley? Thanks

 

[Cails27]

I'd rather have lots of variation as well but most have had a reduction in routes over the past few years so any change to that is a good thing.Can remember many moaning of three circles and North Berwick in a shift.

Thankfully that job hasn’t reappeared after Covid!

Cheers for the advice guys that's handy to know. Would it be possible to tell me a bit more about the links for ScotRail at Waverley? Thanks

Currently 3 links although by the time you qualify it’ll be down to 2. Link 2 signs everything apart from HSTs and Ladybank to Perth.
Check out this thread for a complete list: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/different-driver-depot-route-and-traction-cards.205085/

 

[sktt25]

Thanks for that. I take it though, regardless of which link you are on, you still work the rolling two days off with a 5 day long weekend every three weeks (booked Sundays depending)

 

[chuff chuff]

Thanks for that. I take it though, regardless of which link you are on, you still work the rolling two days off with a 5 day long weekend every three weeks (booked Sundays depending)

Yeah should be though I do believe they (management) try to put Sundays into long weekends though never happened so far.

 

[43066]

Yeah should be though I do believe they (management) try to put Sundays into long weekends though never happened so far.

That wouldn’t really be a long weekend!

 

[RossMc]

Remember you will also go onto the sliding scale if you have to take another post, meaning you will retain most of your drivers salary in another grade. It's a massive safety net. There were at least 2 people who jumped ship to Transpennine and then couldn't drive a train due to medical issues and were faced with losing their job or moving to England to get another post. ScotRail is a job for life, even if it's not always driving. Cross country might not be if you have problems.

100%. Thats why I will stay at Scotrail. I would rather get paid less and have job security.

Any number of reasons elsewhere could result in you out of a job. No thanks.

 

[sktt25]

100%. Thats why I will stay at Scotrail. I would rather get paid less and have job security.

Any number of reasons elsewhere could result in you out of a job. No thanks.

Something I honestly hadn't thought that far ahead about previously but yes having that job security is a massive plus. None of us know what can happen regarding health and wellbeing in the future

 

[RadiationVibe]

XC all day

 

[sktt25]

XC all day

Why?

 

[whoosh]

Salary, job security, and work content aside - Voyagers stink. Actually stink. It will permeate your clothing, and your hallway where you hang your uniform jacket will great visitors to your house with a faint smell of cooked effluent (their exhaust pipes run next to the toilet retention tanks).
I had a couple of weeks route learning years ago on Voyagers. I wouldn't want to work on them.

 

[LoogaBarooga]

Are Scotrail no eyeing them up to replace the HSTs?!

 

[Economist]

Salary, job security, and work content aside - Voyagers stink. Actually stink. It will permeate your clothing, and your hallway where you hang your uniform jacket will great visitors to your house with a faint smell of cooked effluent (their exhaust pipes run next to the toilet retention tanks).
I had a couple of weeks route learning years ago on Voyagers. I wouldn't want to work on them.

The passenger accomodation seems to be much more affected than the driving cabs, I've never really noticed the problem in the cab itself.

 

[whoosh]

Are Scotrail no eyeing them up to replace the HSTs?!

Class 222 Meridians. Similar trains, but better. They don't suffer with the smell problem as that was designed out for them.

 

[RossMc]

Something I honestly hadn't thought that far ahead about previously but yes having that job security is a massive plus. None of us know what can happen regarding health and wellbeing in the future

For me its a no brainer. I've heard of loads of drivers who can no longer do the job.
Whether its physical health related, mental health from witnessing death, personal circumstances, or simply changing their mind about the job (stress etc). Or indeed making too many mistakes and no longer being suitable.

They now work elsewhere in Scotrail on a decent salary. If that happens at XC, you are looking for a job elsewhere.