Train Drivers Hours

[demobbed]

I've just read an article that states that a major franchise relies on drivers working overtime to cover 400 of it's services each week.

A question I have about this is are train drivers governed by drivers hours in the same way as HGV and PCV drivers are?

I have previously been an HGV driver and the jist of it is I could only drive for a maximum of 9 hours a day, increased to 10 no more than twice a week with a maximum of 56 hours per week and 90 hours fortnightly with strict rules regarding breaks and rest periods. Actual working hours are governed by another set of rules. In the company I previously worked for this is all taken into account by the transport planners and enough drivers were employed to cover all required driving hours. If driving hours exceeded drivers availability outside haulage firms/agency drivers were temporarily employed because by law we could not exceed drivers hours and drive overtime.

I find it hard to believe that a clown like me, responsible for up to 44 tonnes is restricted in the amount of hours I can drive in a week and a train driver with up to several hundred isn't and can work overtime if he/she/they wish to.

How can a company operate when it relies on so much (I assume voluntary) overtime?

I'm hoping someone in the know/industry could enlighten me.

Thanks.

[ScottAS2]

Train drivers' hours are very much regulated. Although the extra working's described as "overtime", it's not at all spontaneous; it's planned into rotas in advance and all the driving hours restrictions have to be adhered to.

This Twitter thread goes into more detail, but in short it's suited TOCs (and BR before them) to run under establishment because it allows them to depress the basic rate of pay (and therefore pension liabilities) somewhat. Staff are generally willing to go along with this since they can top up their income by working a sixth day at an enhanced rate, but it relies on there being enough staff willing to work their rest day (and Sundays) to keep things running. Some of the more forward-looking TOCs have in fact renegotiated agreements to include all seven days in the working week. While that's sensible and better reflects how the railway's run in practice, to do it you need to enhance the basic rate and recruit to establishment. The TOCs who haven't made that change because of the short-term costs it entails are now finding their chickens coming home to roost.

[demobbed]

@ScottAS2

Fantastic explanation that makes perfect sense. Thank you.