A train driver has revealed the “biggest misconception” people have about his job.
The driver, who preferred to remain anonymous, has worked on the railway for six years and said she earns £70,000 a year.
But despite being “grateful” for her salary, she revealed the rigorous schedule and long hours that train drivers face.
He noted that they may be required to work 12 hours a day on a scheduled nine-hour shift if there is a grid outage.
However, there was one particular part of the job that irritated her more than most.
A train driver has revealed the biggest misconception people have about his job (Archive image)
The driver, who preferred to remain anonymous in an interview, said she is grateful for the impressive salary of around £70,000 she receives, having worked on the railways for six years (File image)
She said the Telegraph:The worst part of the job is the public perception.
‘If there is any disruption in service, I give passengers all the information I have, but they often think I’m not telling them things.
“So if I’m asked to run somewhere quickly and skip some stations, passengers can get very frustrated.”
While it may seem like an attractive job due to the generous pay, public dissatisfaction with the state of Britain’s railways – and frequent strikes by unions over the past two years – means drivers come under heavy criticism when they take part in industrial action.
It is estimated that between June 2022 and December 2023, 5.05 million days were lost to industrial disputes in the UK.
This is the highest total for a 19-month period in more than 30 years, with 5.34 million days lost between July 1989 and January 1991.
Nearly half (45%) of working days lost between June 2022 and December 2023, where data is available, occurred in the transport, warehousing and communications sectors, according to analysis by the PA news agency.
This reflects the frequency of rail strikes, as workers from several unions, including the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) and Aslef, decided to strike in a bid to receive better pay and working conditions.
Train drivers must be behind the wheel and fully focused in their cab, controlling everything about the train, from its speed and braking to how bright its headlights can be in certain conditions and when the doors close.
Train drivers must be at the wheel and fully focused in their cabin, controlling everything related to the train (Archive image)
The train driver said her job had a huge impact on her life and admitted that she often has to leave family and social events early so she can work with optimal concentration the next day.
As they themselves point out: “If I am fatigued, the consequences could be disastrous.”
Fortunately for the driver in question, she never suffered any fatalities while driving a train.
Reflecting on a known risk of the role, they added: “We are all aware that it could happen to any one of us. I have had a moment where my heart was in my mouth.”
‘Someone jumped off a platform to pick up his mobile phone and then jumped back up.
‘I had just passed my station entrance signal, had the brake on, when the guy jumped. I put my train into ’emergency mode’ and when he jumped again, I took my train out of ’emergency mode.’
‘I walked into the station, opened the doors and contacted the signalman, saying, ‘I need a minute.’ I was in shock and had two checks to make sure I was OK. All I could think was: was it worth paying for a mobile phone?’
Another daily problem faced by drivers is the lack of opportunities to go to the bathroom, as they must wait until they reach the end of the journey to do so (Archive image)
Another daily problem faced by drivers is the lack of opportunities to go to the toilet – after all, they cannot do so while driving through the British countryside at speeds of up to 200 kilometres per hour.
Since there are no toilets in the drivers’ cabins, drivers must wait until they reach a terminal station before they can take a break.
However, even finding the time to do so can be difficult if they only have a 15-minute break before they have to drive the next train.
Drivers can call the station signalman to request a PNB (personal needs break), after which the controller will delay the train so they can use the restroom.
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