The train supply market has diversified in recent months thanks to the arrival of new companies such as Ouigo. However, Renfe continues to concentrate more than 90% of the jobs for train drivers, professionals who must pass several tests to obtain authorization.
This year, the strike that they carried out for a few weeks to ask for more incorporations put this group in the spotlight, on which the , which asks that you lower the tests that they have to pass in order to solve the problem .
But, how much does a Renfe train driver earn? What courses must they pass? The truth is that it is not easy, neither in time nor in money, to become a train driver for Renfe. To begin with, they must cut with a driver’s license.
Courses that can reach 15,000 euros to achieve the position
On the website of the public company they report several centers where this training can be carried out, which between practices and exams can be around 15,000 and 20,000 euros.
Once with the driver’s license, the applicants can now oppose the selection processes that Renfe opens and that consist of a psycho-technical exam and another for driving and practical regulation.
Then it is the turn of the opposition. With it already approved, the applicants already get their place if they exceed the cut-off mark for that year and, later, they can consolidate it over the years by becoming, yes, Renfe’s own train drivers.
Otherwise, they become reserve drivers who receive a much lower benefit and remain on the company’s job board.
This is the salary of a Renfe train driver
To get an idea, train drivers without a place can earn from 850 to 1,000 euros a month at least, compared to 24,000 per year for train drivers who have a place and those who are definitely Renfe train drivers, who have a salary that around 3,200 euros per month plus accessories.
All this process means that Renfe oppositions have a lot of competition, but in turn the selection process takes a long time, which affected the complaints of the strike promoted by the union.