Train driver vs lift engineer: Which skilled trade offers better UK prospects?

Jump To...

Quick answer

Train driver and lift engineer both offer strong UK career prospects with competitive pay (£30k-£70k+ depending on experience and location), but they suit different priorities:

Train drivers: 12-18 month training, irregular shift patterns (4 days on/off), strong unions, excellent benefits, HS2 boosting demand
Lift engineers: 4-5 year apprenticeship, often Monday-Friday work (but on-call 1 in 5 weeks), growing market (5-9% annually), highly competitive entry
Salary edge: Lift engineers potentially earn more long-term (£40k-£75k average vs £30k-£65k for drivers), especially in London
Work-life balance: Mixed for both - train drivers face irregular hours; lift engineers have on-call duties but more predictable schedules
Entry difficulty: Train driver positions more accessible; lift engineer apprenticeships described as “capturing a blue unicorn”

Choose train driving if you value faster training, strong job security, and don’t mind shift work. Choose lift engineering if you’re willing to invest in a longer apprenticeship for potentially higher earnings and more regular hours.

Comparison infographic showing training duration, salary ranges, and work patterns for train drivers versus lift engineers

Who is this for

School leavers considering apprenticeships in skilled trades
Career changers exploring infrastructure and engineering careers
Trades professionals weighing up specialisation options
Parents and career advisors guiding young people into stable, well-paid sectors
Anyone comparing training investment vs earning potential in construction-adjacent trades

The salary reality: What you’ll actually earn

Both careers offer solid earning potential, but the numbers tell different stories at different career stages.

Train driver salaries

Train drivers start modestly but climb steadily. During your 12-18 month training, expect £27,639, rising to £33,867 once you pass rules and regulations (around 3 months in). Qualified drivers typically earn:

Starting (newly qualified): £30,000-£37,000
4-9 years experience: £47,300 average
10-20 years experience: £55,000 average
Experienced drivers: £60,000-£65,000+
London: £58,795 average, often exceeding £69,000 for experienced drivers
Specialists (HS2, metro): £70,000+ with overtime

The pay packet includes strong pensions, free travel for you and family across the network, paid holidays, and shift premiums for nights, weekends, and bank holidays. Performance bonuses add to base salary.

Lift engineer salaries

Lift engineers follow a different trajectory, with a longer climb but potentially higher ceiling:

Entry level (1-3 years): £40,841
Mid-career (4-9 years): £32,100-£38,497
Experienced (10-20 years): £42,600
Senior (20+ years): £45,200
Average across all experience: £57,763 (£28/hour)
London: £74,631 (29% higher than UK average)
With on-call and overtime: £80,000+ possible

The UK lift market is growing at 5.43-9.42% annually through 2032, and salary potential is forecast to increase 16% over the next five years. Engineers on on-call rotas earn 5-15% higher base salary plus solid overtime opportunities.

The verdict on pay

Lift engineers edge ahead long-term, particularly in London or with on-call duties. Train drivers reach decent earnings faster with shorter training, making them cash-positive earlier in their career. If you need income quickly, train driving wins. If you’re patient and want peak earning potential, lift engineering has the edge.

Training: Fast track vs long apprenticeship

The training commitment is where these careers diverge most sharply.

Train driver training (12-18 months)

Getting in is straightforward if you meet basic requirements:

Age: Minimum 21 before you start
Health: Pass psychological and physical tests
Route: Level 3 Train Driver Apprenticeship or in-house operator training

Training combines classroom learning (safety procedures, signalling regulations, braking techniques), modular assessments, and practical driving with an instructor. You’re paid throughout - starting at £27,639, rising after three months. Major operators like LNER, Southeastern, Northern, Avanti West Coast, and ScotRail all run their own programmes, and Routes into Rail coordinates industry-wide entry pathways.

Within 18 months, you’re qualified and earning £40k+. It’s a fast track to a skilled trade.

Lift engineer training (4-5 years)

This is a proper apprenticeship with serious competition to get in. One industry source compared landing a lift engineer position to “capturing a blue unicorn” - desirable and tough.

You’ll need:

Level 3 NVQ in Engineering Maintenance (Lift Servicing or Repair pathway) or Installation and Commissioning (for installation roles)
Basic lift safety (NVQ EOR/202) before working unsupervised
LEIA certificate (Introduction and Fundamentals of Lift Technology)
Level 4 Certificate if you later move into testing (minimum age 21)

Training is fully paid and mixes classroom study with hands-on work through union programmes (like the International Union of Elevator Constructors) or direct employer schemes. The Lift and Escalator Industry Association (LEIA) accredits training, and standards are rigorous - BS 7255:2023 recommends ongoing CPD for all lift workers.

After qualifying, you can pursue an HNC or HND in Lift and Escalator Technology (University of Northampton offers this online) to push into senior or design roles.

Which training suits you?

If you want to be earning decent money within two years, train driving is the pragmatic choice. If you’re under 21, willing to commit to a longer apprenticeship, and want a trade that’s harder to break into (but potentially more lucrative), lift engineering rewards patience.

Work-life balance: Shifts, on-call, and time off

Neither career is 9-to-5, but the patterns differ significantly.

Train driver lifestyle

Trains run 24/7, so drivers work irregular shift patterns:

Common rota: 4 days on, 4 days off
Shift length: 12 hours (0700-1900 or 1900-0700)
Mix: Morning, afternoon, and night shifts
Hours: 35-40 hour week on average

Research from UK railway workers found that 74.9% did shift work, and while job satisfaction was high, work-life balance was generally poor. Irregular sleeping patterns and fatigue are common complaints. Some drivers love the time off; others say “the job robs them of their life outside work.”

Forum users are blunt: “If you like to take time off quite often to do things you enjoy or hobbies, either make your hobby being on a train or don’t apply.” Long-distance freight and passenger routes can mean extended time away from home.

The Office of Rail and Road notes that incident risk increases 27% on 12-hour shifts compared to 8-hour shifts, leading to strong regulatory guidance to cap shifts at 12 hours maximum.

Lift engineer lifestyle

Lift engineers typically enjoy more predictable schedules:

Standard week: Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm in many regional roles
On-call rota: 1 in 5 weeks (roughly every fifth week you’re on standby)
Emergency calls: Must keep phone charged and on loud during on-call periods
Alternative patterns: Some roles offer 12-hour night shifts (5 on, 5 off, 2 on, 2 off)

The on-call element is the trade-off. You’re compensated (5-15% higher base salary plus overtime), but you lose flexibility every fifth week. That said, Monday-Friday work suits family life better than rotating shifts.

The lifestyle verdict

Lift engineers win on predictability and family-friendly hours, though on-call weeks disrupt plans. Train drivers get solid blocks of time off but sacrifice routine and face more fatigue risk. If you value regular evenings and weekends, lift engineering suits better. If you can handle irregular hours for longer continuous breaks, train driving works.

Career progression: Where do you go from here?

Both trades offer clear pathways beyond the tools.

Train driver progression

After around 5 years, management opportunities open up:

Instructor Driver: Teach new drivers on routes and cabin controls
Route Assessor: Evaluate driver competency
Senior Train Driver: Mentor trainees, work with simulators
Driver Manager: Supervise driver performance, coordinate crew and trains (£59,250-£72,650 salary)
Operations Management: Plan rail developments, strategic roles
Policy roles: Move into regulatory or planning work

The typical route is Instructor Driver first, then Driver Manager. It’s not a fast-track - availability matters - but the path is clear. You can also take on more complex routes for higher pay without moving into management.

Lift engineer progression

Progression is diverse, with technical and commercial routes:

Senior Lift Engineer / Lift Supervisor: Coordinate installation, maintenance, and repair teams
Installation Engineer: Specialise in new lift installations
Project Management: Oversee multi-site projects
Lift Engineering Design: Design bespoke systems
Technical Sales: Leverage technical knowledge in business development
Safety Inspection: Focus on compliance and testing (requires Level 4 Certificate)
Self-employment: Start your own lift installation/maintenance business

Many employers actively support progression, advertising roles with “NVQ 4 supplemented & encouraged, clear and structured career progression to management.” You can pursue an HNC/HND for design or senior operations roles.

Progression verdict

Lift engineering offers more diverse pathways, including self-employment and design work. Train driving is more linear but equally solid, with management, instruction, and specialist driving roles all well-compensated. Both trades reward experience with seniority and pay rises.

Job security and industry demand

Both sectors are hiring, but for different reasons.

Rail sector demand

The UK rail network is expanding and modernising:

HS2 (High Speed 2) is driving demand for drivers and engineers
Major operators (LNER, Southeastern, ScotRail, Avanti) regularly recruit trainee drivers
Strong union representation and public sector stability
Long-term infrastructure investment securing roles for decades

Train driving is as stable as skilled trades get. You’re unlikely to face redundancy, and pension schemes are excellent.

Lift industry demand

The lift market is booming:

Market size: Growing from £3.41 billion (2024) to £5.21 billion (2032)
Growth rate: 5.43-9.42% CAGR depending on source
Unit volumes: 8,218 lifts installed (2024) rising to 9,874 (2030)
Modernisation wave: Substantial UK lift stock reaching end-of-life, creating retrofit demand

Growth drivers include commercial development (high-rise offices, shopping complexes), net-zero compliance (building owners upgrading for energy efficiency), airport expansion (Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton), and rapid urban development in London, Birmingham, and Manchester. Over 300,000 lifts and escalators are installed across the UK.

The UK lift market is forecast to grow at 11% annually in urban zones through 2035, with London and Southeast leading. Technology trends (smart systems, predictive maintenance, energy efficiency) are creating demand for skilled engineers who can work with modern equipment.

Demand verdict

Both careers are future-proof. Rail benefits from long-term public infrastructure spending. Lift engineering benefits from commercial property growth, urban densification, and an aging lift stock requiring replacement. You won’t struggle to find work in either trade.

The downsides: What nobody tells you

Every trade has trade-offs. Here’s what practitioners report.

Train driver challenges

Irregular hours wreck routines: Rotating shifts and night work disrupt sleep, social life, and family time
Fatigue is real: 12-hour shifts take a toll; risk increases measurably on longer shifts
Trains cure train enthusiasm: Forum users joke that “if you are really a railfan, working for the railroad will definitely cure that”
Limited control: You follow timetables and procedures - little creative freedom
Long routes mean time away: Freight and long-distance passenger drivers can be away from home for extended periods

Lift engineer challenges

Highly competitive entry: Getting an apprenticeship is genuinely difficult
On-call disrupts life: Every fifth week you’re tethered to your phone
Physical risks: Fall hazards, crush injuries, cable accidents - it’s greasy, physical work
Career patience required: 4-5 years before you’re qualified vs 18 months for train drivers

Neither career is easy, but both reward commitment.

The decision: Which one suits you?

Choose train driving if you:

Want to be earning £40k+ within two years
Can handle irregular shift patterns and rotating rotas
Value strong union support and public sector stability
Don’t mind working nights, weekends, and bank holidays
Prefer a faster route into skilled work

Choose lift engineering if you:

Can commit to 4-5 years of apprenticeship training
Value higher long-term earning potential (£60k-£80k+ with experience)
Prefer Monday-Friday work patterns (with some on-call)
Want diverse progression options (design, sales, management, self-employment)
Are comfortable with competitive entry and physical, sometimes risky work

Both careers offer stability, decent money, and clear progression. The right choice depends on your timeline (fast vs patient), lifestyle priorities (shift work vs on-call), and long-term goals (public sector security vs private sector earnings).

The UK needs both train drivers and lift engineers. Whichever path you choose, you’re entering a trade with solid demand, good pay, and genuine career progression. The decision comes down to what suits your life, not which trade is objectively better.

Links and references

FAQs

Which trade is easier to get into?

Train driver positions are more accessible. Lift engineer apprenticeships are highly competitive - described by industry sources as “very desirable and very tough to get.” If you’re under 21, train driving isn’t an option (minimum age 21), which makes lift engineering your only immediate route.

Can I switch between these careers later?

Yes, but you’d essentially start from scratch. The skills don’t transfer directly - a train driver doesn’t have lift engineering qualifications, and vice versa. However, both trades value problem-solving, safety awareness, and technical competence, so you’d bring transferable soft skills.

Which trade has better job security?

Both are extremely secure. Train driving benefits from public sector stability and union strength. Lift engineering benefits from a booming private sector market (5-9% annual growth through 2032) and an aging lift stock requiring replacement. You’re unlikely to face redundancy in either career.

What’s the work-life balance really like?

Train drivers face irregular shift patterns (4 on, 4 off, including nights) with mixed reviews - some love the time off, others say it dominates their life. Lift engineers typically work Monday-Friday but have on-call duties roughly 1 in 5 weeks. If you value predictable schedules, lift engineering wins. If you can handle irregular hours for longer blocks of time off, train driving works.

Which trade pays better long-term?

Lift engineers have a higher earning ceiling - experienced engineers in London with on-call duties can reach £80k+, while top train drivers typically cap around £65k-£70k (though HS2 and metro specialists can exceed this). However, train drivers reach solid earnings (£40k+) much faster due to shorter training (18 months vs 4-5 years).

Can I do either trade if I’m not great at maths?

Both trades require functional numeracy rather than advanced maths. Train drivers need to understand timetables, speeds, and braking distances. Lift engineers need to read technical diagrams, measurements, and electrical systems. You don’t need A-level maths, but you should be comfortable with practical calculations and problem-solving.

Is either trade suitable for women?

Absolutely. Both industries are actively working to increase diversity. ScotRail highlights female train drivers in their recruitment materials, and lift engineering companies emphasise inclusive hiring. Physical strength matters less than technical skill and safety awareness in both careers.

What if I want to run my own business eventually?

Lift engineering offers a clearer path to self-employment - many experienced engineers start their own installation/maintenance/repair firms. Train drivers can move into consultancy, training, or policy work, but self-employment is less common due to the nature of the work (you need infrastructure and operators to drive for).

Ready to Transform Your Business?

Turn every engineer into your best engineer and solve recruitment bottlenecks

Join the TrainAR Waitlist