Home

Railway Train Conductor

Do you want to become a Railway Train Conductor? Here is some information to help point you in the right direction:

Job Description - Print Page

Bookmark or recommend this article:

Railway train conductors work on passenger trains, making sure that travellers are safe, comfortable and have paid for their journey. Their responsibilities include revenue protection, customer service and safety and involve:

• checking passengers' tickets - making sure that they are valid and the right ones for the journey
• selling tickets to passengers who do not already have them
• making sure passengers are sitting in the right area and in the correct seats
• giving information about the journey and about connecting trains
• dealing with any problems on the train, such as rowdy passengers
• ensuring the train is safely ready for departure
• reporting and dealing with any on-train incidents
• in an emergency looking after the welfare of the passengers.

Conductors work around 35 hours a week in shifts covering days, evenings, weekends and bank holidays. They spend their working hours on a train, moving around and talking to passengers. They wear a uniform, which is provided by the employer.

Salaries for conductors range from around £10,000 a year to £23,000 a year or more.

A railway train conductor should:

• be fit and energetic
• get on well with all types of people
• have good communication skills
• be able to give information in a way which is easily understood
• deal quickly with unexpected situations
• have a clean, smart appearance
• be mature and responsible
• be happy to work alone and make decisions
• be interested in railways and the geography of the railway system.

There are 29 individual train companies operating in the UK. Most trains have conductors and there are job opportunities for conductors across the country. Full details of the companies, available jobs and methods of application can be accessed on the websites of the individual train operating companies.

No particular qualifications are needed to become a conductor, but there are assessments to pass during recruitment. The minimum age is 18 years and applications are welcomed from mature people with experience of working with the public.

New entrants are given initial training appropriate to the area in which they will be working. Conductors may work towards NVQ/SVQ at Level 2 in Rail Transport Operations (Passenger Services).

With experience conductors may move into train crew management posts.

More Useful Resources - Railway Train Conductor:

Do you know of a useful and relevant website that would be helpful to our users? Tell us about it by emailing