Transfer to
British Transport Police
Four routes into British Transport Police for people who have policed before: transferring from a Home Office force, Police Scotland or PSNI, rejoining after leaving, the BTP Returner Pathway for former BTP officers and the PIP 2 detective route. Who qualifies, the live adverts, the interview, pay, four-weekly pay days, induction, probation and what happens to your pension.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 23 October 2026 · Great Britain unless stated
Serving officers in a Home Office force, Police Scotland or PSNI can transfer if they are substantive in rank, have completed probation and have no live misconduct, performance, vetting or financial issues. MDP and CNC officers are not accepted. You keep your basic salary and increment date, do a 4-week induction in London and serve 6 or 12 months' probation. BTP pays every four weeks and your pension does not move across: BTP officers are in BTP's own fund and transfers in are by cash value only. Former officers can rejoin within 5 years, former BTP officers can use the Returner Pathway and PIP 2 detectives have their own London advert.
Transferring to BTP in Short
British Transport Police (BTP) has police powers on the railways of Great Britain. It recruits experienced officers through transferee and re-joiner adverts by area. The main points from BTP's Transferee/Rejoiner pack (8 July 2026), its careers pages and its live adverts:
- Who: current officers in a Home Office force, Police Scotland or PSNI. Not MDP or CNC officers.
- Pay: "Basic salary, including increment date, will be maintained on transfer." Paid every four weeks.
- Training: a 4-week induction at the London training centre.
- Probation: 6 or 12 months, plus 12 months' tenure before moving roles.
- Promotion: no transfer on promotion, but your NPPF level 2 legal exam comes across.
- Pension: does not move automatically. See your pension does not move.
- Adverts: 4 of the 4 transferee, detective and returner adverts we track were open when this page was built.
Four Routes Compared
BTP runs four separate routes for people with police service. Which one fits depends on whether you are serving now, where you served and whether you served with BTP before.
| Transferee | Re-joiner | BTP Returner Pathway | PIP 2 detective transferee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Serving officers in a Home Office force, Police Scotland or PSNI | Former officers of a Home Office force (adverts add Police Scotland and PSNI) who left within 5 years | Former BTP officers who left within 12 months, or within 5 years with continuous police service since | Serving or former detective constables qualified to PIP 2 |
| Key condition | Substantive in rank, probation completed, no live misconduct or performance issues | Left by resignation or retirement, probation completed | Did not retire from BTP | PIP 2 qualified |
| Rank | Mainly constable; occasionally sergeant and above | Previous rank only if a vacancy exists | Not stated | Detective constable |
| Process | Application, sift, competency interview (with or without a presentation), checks | Same transferee and re-joiner adverts | Short application, internal checks, Divisional Commander approval | Transferee and re-joiner DC advert, talent pool |
| Training | 4-week induction in London | Not set out separately | None if back within 12 months; otherwise 4-week induction in London | Not set out separately |
| Pay | Basic salary and increment date kept | Not set out separately | Not set out separately | Pay point matched to current or previous salary, plus London Weighting and London Allowance |
If none of these fits, you apply as a new recruit on the Police Constable Entry Programme. Our how to join BTP hub covers that route stage by stage.
Who Can Transfer to BTP
BTP's transferee adverts and pack set these conditions. There is no educational requirement for transferees.
| Requirement | What BTP says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Current force | A current officer in a Home Office force, Police Scotland or PSNI | Adverts 793 and 1823 |
| Not accepted | Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) and Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) officers | Transferee pack; careers transferee page |
| Rank | Substantive in rank. Constable rank mainly; occasionally sergeant and above | Adverts; careers transferee page |
| Probation | Completed | Adverts |
| Conduct | No live misconduct or performance issues; not under investigation; not dismissed | Adverts |
| Finances | No County Court Judgment, unmanaged IVA or bankruptcy | Adverts |
| Vetting | Not refused vetting in the last two years | Adverts |
| Residence | Three years' UK residence | Adverts |
| Education | No educational requirement | Careers transferee page |
| Promotion | No transfer on promotion | Transferee pack |
BTP does not accept Ministry of Defence Police or Civil Nuclear Constabulary officers as transferees. Officers from those forces would need to look at BTP's other routes. Ask BTP recruitment which one applies to you.
Rank and promotion
BTP recruits transferees at constable rank mainly, occasionally at sergeant and above. There is no transfer on promotion: you move at your substantive rank. BTP's pack says "you can bring your NPPF level 2 legal exam across", so a constable who has passed the legal exam does not lose it by moving.
On finances, BTP's eligibility documents give three years since a bankruptcy or DRO discharge in some places and five in one. Our BTP vetting guide explains the safe reading.
Transferee Adverts Open Now
BTP recruits transferees by area. Regional adverts feed a talent pool with a start within 12 months; some are rolling with no closing date. The status column is worked out when this page is built (24 October 2026), so a closing date that has passed shows as closed after the next rebuild.
| Advert (links to BTP) | Closing date as BTP writes it | Status when built (24 October 2026) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transferee and Re-Joiner PCs: Doncaster, Sheffield, Leicester, Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Milton Keynes | 2 November 2026 | Open | Talent pool; start within 12 months |
| Transferee and Re-Joiner PCs: London and the South East, Leeds, Brighton, Bournemouth, Luton and Stevenage, Truro, Plymouth | No closing date | Open | Rolling talent pools |
| Transferee and Re-Joiner Detective Constables, London | 23:59 on 31 October 2026 | Open | PIP 2 qualified detectives |
| BTP Returners, Police Constable | No closing date | Open | Former BTP officers |
The London and the South East advert lists Inner London, Maidstone, Ashford, Colchester, Southend, Stevenage, Luton, Brighton, Guildford, Croydon and Southampton. On 23 October 2026 BTP also listed two specialist transferee adverts: Transferee and Re-Joiner PC, Surveillance Officer, London (closing 30 October 2026) and Transferee or Re-joiner PC, Recruit Trainer, London (closing 31 October 2026). Check the BTP vacancies portal for the current list.
Serving PCSOs and Specials have their own transferee adverts: see the BTP PCSO guide and the BTP Specials guide. Every BTP advert is on our open campaigns page.
The Transfer Process and Interview, Step by Step
BTP's transferee advert lists five steps: application, interview (in person), conditional offer, pre-employment checks and formal offer with a start date. The flowchart in BTP's transferee pack gives more detail. Everything is assessed against the College of Policing Competency and Values Framework (CVF).
| Step | What happens | What to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Application | Online application to a transferee and re-joiner advert for the area you want | Your service record, rank, pay point, increment date and your reasons for BTP |
| 2. Sift | Your application is screened and assessed against the Competency and Values Framework (CVF) | Examples at your rank's CVF level |
| 3. Competency and skills based interview | In person, "with or without presentation" | Two examples per competency and some knowledge of BTP |
| 4. Stage Two assessment centre | "To include presentation if not already completed" | A 10-minute presentation plan, in case it is asked for here |
| 5. Conditional offer | Valid for 12 months | Do not resign yet |
| 6. Intake allocated | About 12 weeks before your start date | Plan the 4-week London induction |
| 7. Pre-employment checks | Vetting, references, medical and the fitness test (or evidence of a pass in the last 12 months) | Address history, references, fitness evidence from your force |
| 8. Formal offer and start date | The advert's last step | Give notice to your force only now |
The interview and the presentation
The pack calls the interview a "Competency and Skills based interview (With or without presentation)". The Stage Two assessment centre is "To include presentation if not already completed". So expect a presentation at one stage or the other. BTP's new-recruit pages describe the presentation as 10 minutes and say candidates are assessed on "your insight into the BTP, your understanding and expectations of the role" as well as the CVF. BTP does not publish the topic.
- Prepare two recent examples for each CVF competency at your rank's level.
- Know BTP: its railway jurisdiction, its divisions, the area you applied for and 12-hour rotating shifts. Our divisions and postings guide covers the structure.
- Be ready to say why you want to move from territorial policing to the railway.
- Practise a 10-minute presentation to time. Our free BTP presentation practice page has a timer and our BTP interview questions guide covers competency answers.
If you want more practice, the BTP Selection Pack has original interview questions with model answers and presentation topics with a timer. It is our own material built from what BTP publishes, not BTP's.
The conditional offer is valid for 12 months and an intake is allocated about 12 weeks before the start. BTP's FAQ says not to resign until the formal offer.
Fitness, Medical and Vetting for Transferees
Fitness: evidence from the last 12 months
BTP's standard is the Job-Related Fitness Test: the 15-metre bleep test to level 5.4. The transferee pack says you can give evidence of a pass in the last 12 months from your force, or take the test at assessment. If your last test was longer ago, practise before the assessment. Our BTP fitness test guide and the 15m bleep test simulator help.
Medical
The medical is part of the pre-employment checks. The transferee pack adds detail on eyesight, colour vision, eye surgery and tattoos (all tattoos must be declared on the application). See our BTP medical and eyesight standards guide.
Vetting
BTP vets you itself. Asked whether vetting from another force transfers, BTP's answer is "Typically, no". Vetting sits after the conditional offer with references and the medical. Our BTP vetting guide has the detail and a preparation list.
Pay Point and Increment Date Kept
BTP's transferee pack says: "Basic salary, including increment date, will be maintained on transfer." It also says "BTP operates on the same Windsor Salary Scale as Home Office forces." BTP follows the national police pay award: 3.5% from September 2026.
| Constable pay point | 2025/26 (BTP pack v14) | 2026/27 | Status of the 2026/27 figure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 (New PCEP recruits start here) | £32,472 | £33,609 | Published by BTP |
| 3 | £33,789 | £34,972 | Our calculation (2025/26 plus 3.5%), not published by BTP |
| 4 | £35,106 | £36,335 | Our calculation (2025/26 plus 3.5%), not published by BTP |
| 5 | £37,737 | £39,058 | Our calculation (2025/26 plus 3.5%), not published by BTP |
| 6 | £43,038 | £44,544 | Our calculation (2025/26 plus 3.5%), not published by BTP |
| 7 (Top of the scale, reached after five years) | £50,256 | £52,014 | Published by BTP |
BTP published only the start (£33,609) and top (£52,014) of the 2026/27 constable scale. The middle points are our calculation and are labelled. Your offer letter is the figure that counts.
| Sergeant pay point | 2025/26 (BTP pack v14) | 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | £53,568 | Not published by BTP |
| 3 | £54,660 | Not published by BTP |
| 4 | £56,208 | Not published by BTP |
Location allowances
On top of basic pay, officers stationed within 16 miles of Charing Cross get London Allowance of £5,783.75 and London Weighting of £3,261: £9,044.75 a year in 2026/27. South East Allowance is £3,105 in the top tier, with £2,000 and £1,000 tiers at some stations (BTP has not said whether the lower two were uprated for 2026/27). Full station lists are on our BTP pay scales page.
Four-Weekly Pay and Your Budget
This is the change most transferees notice first. BTP's pack says "BTP employees are paid every four weeks in arrears", within seven days of the end of each four-week period. That is 13 pay days a year, not 12.
| Annual salary (2026/27) | Gross per four-week period (divided by 13) | If it were paid monthly (divided by 12) | Difference per pay day |
|---|---|---|---|
| £33,609 (point 2) | £2,585.31 | £2,800.75 | £215.44 |
| £52,014 (point 7) | £4,001.08 | £4,334.50 | £333.42 |
Your annual pay is the same. What changes:
- Each pay day is smaller than a monthly pay day would be on the same salary.
- Pay days move through the calendar rather than landing on the same date each month.
- Once a year a month has two pay days, because 13 pay days fit into 12 months.
- Monthly bills (rent, mortgage, loans) do not move with your pay days, so plan the gap.
- Your first pay comes in arrears after your first four-week period.
Your pension deduction also changes: BTP takes contributions by salary sacrifice into its own fund, at a rate it does not publish. To see what lands in your account, use the BTP take-home pay calculator, which works per four-week period.
Leave, Travel and Other Conditions
| Condition | What BTP publishes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Pay scale | "BTP operates on the same Windsor Salary Scale as Home Office forces" | Transferee pack |
| Pay and increment date | "Basic salary, including increment date, will be maintained on transfer" | Transferee pack |
| Pay frequency | Every four weeks in arrears, within seven days of the end of each period: 13 pay days a year | Transferee pack |
| Annual leave | Calculated on length of service (transferee pack). The role page gives 22 days rising to 25 after two years' service, to a maximum of 30 with 20 years | Transferee pack; role page |
| Shifts | 12-hour rotating shifts with varying start and finish times; patterns differ from station to station | FAQs; careers transferee page |
| Inner London allowances | London Allowance £5,783.75 plus London Weighting £3,261: £9,044.75 a year (2026/27), for officers within 16 miles of Charing Cross | Adverts; allowances by station sheet |
| South East Allowance | £3,105 top tier (2026/27); £2,000 and £1,000 tiers by station | Adverts; allowances by station sheet |
| Rail travel on duty | Free on all National Rail services on duty, in or out of uniform, with your warrant card | Role page |
| Oyster card | Officers in London get one for duty, travel to and from work and leisure; not valid on National Rail | Role page |
| Home to work rail travel | Apply for a residential pass or privilege season ticket: 70 miles free in London and the South East, 8 miles elsewhere, then usually a heavily reduced rate, at the discretion of the Rail Delivery Group | Role page; packs |
| Off-duty leisure rail travel | Not offered beyond the above | FAQs |
| Federation subscription | £19.50 per four weeks, from day one | BTP Federation FAQs |
| Pension | BTP Force Superannuation Fund CARE section, not the Police Pension Scheme | Transferee pack; BTPFSF |
Annual leave
The transferee pack says annual leave is calculated on length of service. BTP's role page sets out the scale for officers: 22 days, rising to 25 after two years' service, to a maximum of 30 with 20 years. Ask BTP to confirm in writing how your service in your current force counts towards those bands.
Rail travel
All BTP officers get free travel on National Rail services on duty with their warrant card, in or out of uniform. Officers in London get an Oyster card for duty, travel to and from work and leisure. For travel between home and your principal work location, you can apply for a residential pass or privilege season ticket: 70 miles free in London and the South East, 8 miles elsewhere, then usually a heavily reduced rate, at the discretion of the Rail Delivery Group. Off-duty leisure rail travel is not offered beyond that.
Induction, Probation, Tenure and Support
- A 4-week induction at BTP's London training centre, covering railway legislation, BTP systems and track safety. The pack mentions accommodation for C Division postings.
- Probation of either 6 or 12 months. The pack gives both and does not say which applies when; ask.
- 12 months' tenure before you can move to another role, with exceptions if a superintendent supports it.
- A Transferee Support Scheme with a named contact to help you settle in.
New recruits on the Police Constable Entry Programme do about 33 weeks of initial training from April 2027 and a two-year probation. Transferees do 4 weeks and 6 or 12 months. See BTP training.
Specialist roles at BTP for new recruits come only after the two-year probation. For transferees, the 12 months' tenure is the published rule. BTP's pages we read do not set out how transferees move into specialist roles beyond that; ask at interview.
Your Pension Does Not Move Automatically
BTP officers are not in the Police Pension Scheme. They are in the British Transport Police Force Superannuation Fund (BTPFSF), administered by Railpen. Transferees join its CARE section from day one if under 58 (63 for superintendents and above), by salary sacrifice.
- No bilateral agreement: "we do not have such an agreement in place between the Home Office and our CARE funds".
- Cash value only: a transfer in from a Home Office or Scottish police scheme is by Cash Equivalent Transfer Value (CETV).
- Protected final salary members "may be offered the terms and benefits of BTP's 2007, 35-year pension scheme" or keep their protection, subject to BTPA approval.
- Rates not public: the CARE accrual rate and member contribution rate are not on public pages.
- Retirement age: normal retirement age is 60 for active members and 65 if you leave BTP before retirement.
Read our BTP pension scheme guide before you accept an offer. It sets out the CARE section, a side-by-side comparison with the Police Pension Scheme 2015 and the questions to ask Railpen. A pension decision can be worth more than any pay difference, so get regulated advice on your own figures.
Re-Joiners: Back Within Five Years
BTP's re-joiner page and the transferee and re-joiner adverts accept former officers who:
- served in a Home Office force (the adverts add Police Scotland and PSNI);
- left within the last 5 years, by resignation or retirement;
- completed probation.
There is no upper age limit. Retired officers can rejoin "while continuing to draw their police pension". BTP says no break in service is needed for officers coming from Home Office forces. You can rejoin at your previous rank only if a vacancy exists at that rank.
Re-joiners apply through the same transferee and re-joiner adverts listed above. A re-joiner who is drawing a police pension may also build BTPFSF CARE pension from joining (BTP's pack gives day-one enrolment for officers under 58): see the pension guide and ask your pension administrator how rejoining affects your existing pension.
The BTP Returner Pathway
For former BTP officers only. BTP's Returner Pathway page and advert 991 (no closing date) say it is open to officers who:
- left BTP within the last 12 months; or
- left within the last 5 years and have had continuous police service since;
- and did not retire from BTP.
| Your situation | What happens |
|---|---|
| Left BTP within 12 months | Short application, internal checks and Divisional Commander approval, then straight back to division |
| Left BTP more than 12 months ago, with continuous police service since | Same application and approval, then a 4-week induction in London |
| Coming back from another force | 4-week induction in London |
| Retired from BTP | Not eligible for the Returner Pathway |
PIP 2 Detective Transferees
BTP does not advertise a new-recruit detective route: its Detective Constable Accelerated Scheme page is still online but shows 2024/25 pay and has no live vacancy. The live route for detectives is the Transferee and Re-Joiner Detective Constables, London advert:
- for detective constables qualified to PIP 2;
- pay point matched to your current or previous salary, plus London Weighting and London Allowance;
- a talent pool, with a start within 12 months;
- closing at 23:59 on 31 October 2026 when we checked. Its status when this page was built is in the adverts table.
We found no direct entry scheme for inspectors or superintendents: no live vacancy and no careers page. BTP does not publish whether it runs one.
Which Route Are You? Worked Examples
Invented profiles run against BTP's published rules. BTP decides every case; where a profile is close to a line, ask BTP before you apply.
| Profile (invented) | Route on BTP's published rules | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| PC in a Home Office force, 6 years' service, no issues | Transferee | Apply to a transferee and re-joiner advert for your area. |
| PSNI constable, 4 years' service | Transferee | PSNI officers are named on the adverts. Apply to an advert for your area. |
| Police Scotland constable wanting a London posting | Transferee | Use the London and the South East advert (rolling). |
| PC still in probation in a Home Office force | Not yet | Probation must be completed first. |
| PC with a live misconduct investigation | Not eligible | Wait until it is concluded. |
| MOD Police constable | Not a transferee | BTP does not accept MDP officers as transferees. Ask BTP about the new-recruit route. |
| Civil Nuclear Constabulary officer | Not a transferee | BTP does not accept CNC officers as transferees. Ask BTP about the new-recruit route. |
| Sergeant in a Home Office force | Possible but rare | BTP recruits transferees mainly at constable rank; occasionally sergeant and above. Watch for a sergeant advert. |
| Constable who has passed the NPPF legal exam | Transferee as a constable | No transfer on promotion, but the NPPF level 2 legal exam comes across. |
| Former Met PC who resigned 3 years ago | Re-joiner | Within 5 years: apply to a transferee and re-joiner advert. |
| Officer who retired from a county force 2 years ago, drawing a police pension | Re-joiner | BTP says retired officers can rejoin while continuing to draw their police pension. |
| Former officer who left 7 years ago | Not a re-joiner | Outside 5 years. Ask BTP about the new-recruit route. |
| Former BTP PC who resigned 8 months ago | BTP Returner | Within 12 months: straight back to division after approval. |
| Former BTP PC who left 3 years ago and has served in another force since | BTP Returner | Within 5 years with continuous police service: 4-week London induction. |
| Officer who retired from BTP | Not a BTP Returner | The Returner Pathway excludes officers who retired from BTP. Ask BTP about other routes. |
| Detective constable with PIP 2 in a Home Office force | PIP 2 detective transferee | Apply to the London DC advert while it is open. |
Should I Transfer to BTP? Pros and Cons
Built only from what BTP publishes. Whether a point is a pro or a con depends on your own situation: a London posting with long rail commutes looks very different from a regional one.
| For transferring (from BTP's published terms) | Against, or to check first |
|---|---|
| Basic salary and increment date kept on transfer | Your pension does not move: no bilateral agreement, cash transfer value only |
| Same Windsor salary scale as Home Office forces | BTP does not publish its pension accrual or member contribution rates |
| Free National Rail travel on duty; Oyster in London; free or reduced home to work rail travel | No off-duty leisure rail travel beyond the residential concession |
| Inner London allowances of £9,044.75 a year; South East Allowance up to £3,105 | Paid every four weeks: 13 smaller pay days rather than 12 |
| A 4-week induction, not new-recruit training | The induction is in London, with accommodation only mentioned for C Division postings |
| NPPF level 2 legal exam carries across | No transfer on promotion |
| A Transferee Support Scheme with a named contact | Probation of 6 or 12 months and 12 months' tenure before moving roles |
| No educational requirement | BTP vets you again: other vetting "Typically, no" transfers |
| Rolling talent pools in several areas | Posting depends on the advert's area; 12-hour rotating shifts |
Questions to ask before you accept
| Question to ask BTP | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Which pay point will I start on and is my increment date kept? | The pack says both are maintained. Get the figure in writing. |
| How many days' annual leave will I get? | The pack says leave is calculated on length of service. Confirm how your previous force service counts. |
| Is my probation 6 or 12 months? | The pack gives both. Ask which applies to you and why. |
| What would my CETV buy in the BTPFSF and will I be offered 2007 section terms? | Transfers in are by cash value only. Protected final salary members may be offered 2007 terms subject to BTPA approval. |
| What are the CARE section accrual and contribution rates? | They are not on public pages. |
| Will there be a presentation and at which stage? | The pack says the interview may be with or without a presentation and Stage Two includes one if not already done. |
| Is my force's fitness test pass in the last 12 months accepted? | You can give evidence of a pass in the last 12 months or take the test at assessment. |
| Is accommodation provided for the London induction? | The pack mentions accommodation for C Division postings. |
Write down the answers, who gave them and the date.
Myths and Facts
| Common claim | What BTP publishes |
|---|---|
| Any police officer can transfer to BTP | No. MDP and CNC officers are not accepted as transferees. Home Office, Police Scotland and PSNI officers are. |
| My police pension transfers across | No. There is no bilateral agreement. A transfer in is by cash equivalent transfer value only. |
| I restart at the bottom of the scale | No. BTP says basic salary and increment date are maintained on transfer. |
| I will have to do the full new-recruit training | No. Transferees do a 4-week induction in London. |
| I can transfer as a sergeant if I have passed the exam | No transfer on promotion, but the NPPF level 2 legal exam comes across. |
| My vetting from my current force carries over | BTP's answer is "Typically, no". BTP vets you itself. |
| I need to do the bleep test again | Not necessarily. Evidence of a pass from your force in the last 12 months is accepted, or you take it at assessment. |
| BTP pays monthly like my force | BTP pays every four weeks in arrears: 13 pay days a year. |
| Re-joiners cannot draw their pension | BTP says retired officers can rejoin while continuing to draw their police pension. |
| Re-joiners always go back at their old rank | Only if a vacancy exists at that rank. |
| The Returner Pathway is for anyone who has policed before | It is for former BTP officers who did not retire from BTP. Other former officers use the re-joiner route. |
What We Could Not Verify
BTP's published pages do not state the following, so we have not given figures or rules for them. Ask BTP recruitment.
- Whether probation is 6 or 12 months in your case and what decides it.
- How your previous force service counts towards BTP annual leave bands.
- The 2026/27 constable points 3 to 6 and all 2026/27 sergeant points (our constable figures are calculations).
- Whether the £2,000 and £1,000 South East Allowance tiers were uprated for 2026/27.
- The BTPFSF CARE accrual rate, member contribution rate and employer rate.
- What a CETV from your current scheme would buy in the BTPFSF.
- The presentation topic and the interview scoring.
- Whether accommodation is provided for the London induction outside C Division postings.
- How long the transferee process takes from application to start.
- BTP's overtime, rest day and on-call rules.
- Any direct entry scheme for inspectors or superintendents.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I transfer to British Transport Police?
Yes, if you are a current officer in a Home Office force, Police Scotland or PSNI, substantive in rank, with probation completed, no live misconduct or performance issues, no CCJ, unmanaged IVA or bankruptcy, not dismissed, not refused vetting in the last two years and with three years' UK residence. There is no educational requirement.
Can MOD Police or CNC officers transfer to BTP?
No. BTP's transferee pack and careers page say Ministry of Defence Police and Civil Nuclear Constabulary officers are not accepted as transferees.
Do I keep my pay point if I transfer to BTP?
Yes. BTP's transferee pack says basic salary, including increment date, will be maintained on transfer. BTP uses the same Windsor salary scale as Home Office forces. Pay is every four weeks, so each pay day is smaller than a monthly one.
Does my pension transfer to BTP?
Not automatically. BTP officers are in the BTP Force Superannuation Fund, not the Police Pension Scheme. There is no bilateral transfer agreement. You can ask for a cash equivalent transfer value. Officers protected in a final salary scheme may be offered BTP's 2007 section terms or keep their protection, subject to BTPA approval.
How long is BTP transferee training?
A 4-week induction at BTP's London training centre covering railway legislation, BTP systems and track safety. BTP's pack says accommodation is provided for C Division postings.
Do BTP transferees do probation?
Yes. BTP's transferee pack says probation is either 6 or 12 months. There is also 12 months' tenure before you can move roles, with exceptions if a superintendent supports it.
Do transferees have to do a presentation for BTP?
Possibly. BTP's transferee pack describes a competency and skills based interview with or without a presentation and a Stage Two assessment centre that includes a presentation if you have not already done one. Everything is assessed against the Competency and Values Framework.
Do I have to retake the bleep test to transfer to BTP?
You can provide evidence from your force of a fitness test pass in the last 12 months or take the test at assessment. BTP's standard is level 5.4 on the 15-metre bleep test.
Can I rejoin the police with BTP after retiring?
Yes, if you left a Home Office force (adverts add Police Scotland and PSNI) within the last 5 years by resignation or retirement and completed probation. BTP says retired officers can rejoin while continuing to draw their police pension. You return at your previous rank only if a vacancy exists.
What is the BTP Returner Pathway?
A route back for former BTP officers who did not retire from BTP and who left within 12 months (or within 5 years with continuous police service since). It uses a short application, internal checks and Divisional Commander approval. Back within 12 months, you go straight back to division; otherwise you do a 4-week induction in London.
Is BTP recruiting transferees now?
When we checked on 23 October 2026, BTP had transferee and re-joiner constable adverts for Doncaster, Sheffield, Leicester, Wolverhampton, Birmingham and Milton Keynes closing on 2 November 2026 plus rolling talent pools for London and the South East, Leeds, Brighton, Bournemouth, Luton and Stevenage, Truro and Plymouth. A London detective constable advert had a closing time of 23:59 on 31 October 2026.
Can I transfer to BTP as a detective?
Yes, if you are PIP 2 qualified. BTP's Transferee and Re-Joiner Detective Constables advert for London offers a pay point matched to your current or previous salary plus London Weighting and London Allowance, from a talent pool with a start within 12 months.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 23 October 2026. Rules and figures change, so check the source for the date you are reading this. Where we could not confirm something from an official or independent source, the page says so rather than guessing. Spotted something out of date? See our corrections policy.
- BTP Transferee/Rejoiner Recruitment Pack (PDF, 8 Jul 2026, attached to advert 793) : MDP and CNC not accepted; pay and increment date kept; same Windsor scale; four-weekly pay; leave by service; 4-week London induction; accommodation for C Division; probation 6 or 12 months; 12 months' tenure; NPPF level 2 legal exam; Transferee Support Scheme; process flowchart; fitness evidence within 12 months; pension enrolment, no bilateral agreement, CETV only, 2007 section offer (accessed 23 October 2026)
- BTP careers: Transferees : transferee route; constable rank mainly; no educational requirement; vetting does not usually transfer; shifts vary by station; CETV only (accessed 23 October 2026)
- BTP advert 793: Transferee and Re-Joiner Police Constable, London and the South East : eligibility list; Home Office, Police Scotland and PSNI; advert process; London and the South East locations; rolling (accessed 23 October 2026)
- BTP advert 1823: Transferee and Re-Joiner PCs, Doncaster : regional transferee template; talent pool; start within 12 months; closing 2 November 2026 (accessed 23 October 2026)
- BTP advert 1732: Transferee and Re-Joiner Detective Constables, London : PIP 2 detective constables; pay point matched; London Weighting and London Allowance; closing 23:59 on 31 October 2026 (accessed 23 October 2026)
- BTP careers: Re-joiners : re-joiners within 5 years; resignation or retirement; probation completed; draw police pension; previous rank only with a vacancy (accessed 23 October 2026)
- BTP careers: BTP Re-joiner (Returner Pathway) : Returner Pathway eligibility; short application; Divisional Commander approval; induction rules (accessed 23 October 2026)
- BTP advert 991: BTP Returners, Police Constable : BTP Returners advert, no closing date (accessed 23 October 2026)
- BTP vacancies portal (all live jobs) : Surveillance Officer and Recruit Trainer transferee adverts and closing dates (accessed 23 October 2026)
- BTP careers: Police Officer (Full Time) : 2026/27 pay £33,609 to £52,014; annual leave 22 to 25 to 30 days; rail travel on duty; Oyster; residential pass (accessed 23 October 2026)
- BTP careers: FAQs : 12-hour rotating shifts; vetting from another force typically does not transfer; no off-duty leisure travel (accessed 23 October 2026)
- BTP Allowances by Station (PDF, 2025/26 rates, attached to advert 793) : London rates within 16 miles of Charing Cross; South East tiers by station (accessed 23 October 2026)
- BTP advert 1736: Police Officer, Inner London : 2026/27 Inner London allowances £5,783.75 and £3,261 (accessed 23 October 2026)
- BTP Federation: FAQs : Federation subscription £19.50 per four weeks (accessed 23 October 2026)
- BTP Federation: Police pay award 2026 : 3.5% pay award from September 2026 (accessed 23 October 2026)
- BTP Force Superannuation Fund (Railpen): paying into the CARE section : BTPFSF CARE section is the only open section (accessed 23 October 2026)
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Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with British Transport Police, the British Transport Police Authority, the BTP Force Superannuation Fund, Railpen or the College of Policing. It does not recruit, test or assess applicants. Our practice questions and scenarios are original PolicePay material, not BTP's own. BTP runs its own selection process and changes it. Its own pages sometimes disagree, so check the live advert and BTP's careers site before relying on anything here. Details are as checked on 23 October 2026.