Train Driver — Free Travel & Rail Discounts in London

Arriva Rail London is an industry-leading train operating company, responsible for running the London Overground network under a Concession Agreement with Transport for London (TfL) and is part of the Arriva group.

Here at Arriva, we are on our way to becoming the leading passenger transport partner across Europe, delivering more than 2.2 billion passenger journeys across 14 different European countries every year. We have a vision to help shape a future where passenger transport is the best choice, through digitisation, sustainability, and continuous improvement.

We are building a talent pool of qualified Train Drivers to join our team at our New Cross Gate depot. As Arriva Rail London prepares for 2026, this is your chance to bring your skills and professionalism to a role that keeps the city moving, while enjoying the stability, progression and pride that come with driving for one of London’s leading rail operators. By joining our talent pool, you’ll be first in line for upcoming vacancies, ensuring you don’t miss the opportunity to take the next step in your driving career.

The Role: We are on the hunt for highly committed and customer focussed Qualified Train Drivers across London. You will need to have a minimum of 2 years’ experience of continually productive main line train driving experience along with a good safety of the line record who ideally has come from a passenger railway background.

As an Arriva Rail London Train Driver, you will primarily work alone whilst maintaining high levels of concentration at all times, being fully responsible for passengers’ safety. You won’t just drive our trains, you will act as a technical and operational specialist, delivering high standards of on-train service as expected from our customers. We pride ourselves on safety and customer service and are therefore seeking individuals with an excellent safety of the line record, proven train driving experience as well as a passion for the rail industry and delivering an on-time service for our passengers.

To be successful in this role, you will need to be safety conscious and able to deal with pressurised situations and emergencies, whilst working as a team player communicating with the Control teams with the goal of always delivering fantastic customer service.

This Individual Will Also Need To Have:

• Excellent communication skills with a customer focussed attitude.
• A proactive 'can do' approach.
• To work well in a team, as well as to have the ability to work in a highly autonomous environment.
• The ability to effectively work under pressure and react positively to unforeseen circumstances.
• Flexibility regarding work and shift patterns with the ability to work both days and nights, including weekends.
• To have driven a train as part of your role within the last 6 months and you will have had to have been a Qualified Mainline driver for at least 2 years.
• The ideal individual will have experience driving passenger services.
• To live within 1hr of the New Cross Gate, Chingford or Willesden depot, via driving or public transport.

All applicants will be expected to sit an interview, upon successful completion of this we will then complete a Safety of the Line check and a medical. If you have a pre-booked holiday, please inform us during the application process, as this may impact your start date.

The Benefits:

• Free Travel for you and a nominated person at your address on TfL Network - this alone worth total £5,200 per annum.
• Discounts on European rail services after 1 year of service.
• Free travel on Arriva branded rail services around the country.
• 75% discount off of season tickets on other Train Operating Companies.
• Arriva Village - web based discounts on various products/services on the high street.
• Employee Assistance Programme - 24hr helpline, covering a multitude of subjects.

At Arriva we acknowledge the importance of our people’s diverse experiences, talents, and cultures. Embracing diversity and creating inclusion is a key component of our talent strategy. The creation of a diverse, inclusive workforce is central to our ability to unlock potential and enhance our success.

If you require any reasonable adjustments to be made to the application or interview process, please don’t hesitate to let us know.