How much do rail sector workers earn?

The Times has changed an article which overstated the average salary of rail staff excluding drivers, after being contacted by Full Fact.

In an article published on Friday 16 August, the newspaper claimed: “There are more than 40,000 rail staff other than drivers, earning an average of £49,000.”

The £49,000 figure was substantially higher than the most recent figure for the median salary of rail sector workers excluding drivers available at the time of the article’s publication, and more up-to-date data subsequently published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) provisionally shows that the median annual salary for this group of workers is substantially lower, at approximately £39,500.

The ONS defines rail sector workers as those employed in one of five roles:

• Rail and rolling stock builders and repairers
• Rail travel assistants
• Rail construction and maintenance operatives
• Train and tram drivers
• Rail transport operatives.

According to provisional data taken from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), in 2023 the median average salary of all rail sector workers was £47,095, while the median salary for rail sector workers excluding drivers was £39,498.

Looking at full-time workers only, the median salary of all rail sector workers was £47,444, and for rail sector workers excluding drivers was £39,938.

The rail drivers’ union, ASLEF, has been offered a three-year pay deal by the government, which includes a backdated 5% increase for 2019 to 2022, 4.75% for 2022 to 2024, and 4.5% for 2024 to 2025. The union’s leadership has recommended its members vote to accept the offer.

According to ASHE data, train and tram drivers earn a median annual salary of £63,807.