Here’s a quirky fact: drivers don’t get paid just for driving. They get paid for thinking about driving. Actually, they get paid a fixed salary, no matter what happens. If a train breaks down? Still paid. If a leaf falls on the track and stops everything? Still paid. It’s called “productivity pay” in the union contract, but really, it’s chaos compensation.
And wait—here’s the silliest part. You can earn extra money just for knowing the route map. Route knowledge is a big deal. If you’re a driver who can handle the tricky bits between Paddington and Penzance? Boom. You get a bonus. It’s like getting paid to memorize a giant spaghetti map.
Another weird thing: they pay drivers for not crashing. Actually, it’s more about a “bonus for safety.” But let’s be honest, that’s like paying a firefighter for not burning down your house. It’s still awesome.
The Perks That’ll Make You Jealous
First Great Western drivers get free train travel. For life. Forever. Not just for them, but for their partners and kids. Imagine never paying for a train ticket again. That’s a salary of £0 for commuting. Ever.
And they get a pension that’s basically a treasure chest. The Railways Pension Scheme is famously gold-plated. Drivers retire at 60 with a fat check every month. Meanwhile, you’re still paying off your student loans. Ouch.
Great Western Railway train driver talks about life on the tracks
They also get 35 days of paid holiday per year. Thirty-five days. That’s seven weeks off. Most people get four. So a driver could drive a train for four days, then take a week off to drive a rental car instead. Pure freedom.
But Is It Easy Money?
No, no, no. Don’t get too jealous yet. Becoming a driver is hard. You need to pass a psychological test that feels like a video game from hell. It’s called the “Multi-Modal” test. You stare at dots on a screen while reacting to sounds. It’s bizarre.
Then you have to memorize 200+ pages of rules. Yes, there’s a 200-page rule book. If you forget one rule, you fail. One guy missed a rule about “fog horn signals” and was sent home. Fog horns, people.
And guess what? You can’t have any visible tattoos. None. First Great Western once rejected a guy because he had a tiny anchor on his wrist. That anchor cost him £60,000 a year. Ouch again.
