Railway yard and track maintenance workers
National Occupation Code (NOC): 7531
Railway yard workers regulate yard traffic, couple and uncouple trains and perform related yard activities. Railway track maintenance workers operate machines and equipment to lay, maintain and repair railway tracks. They are employed by railway transport companies.
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Job Duties for Railway yard and track maintenance workers
- Operate control panel switches from railway yard tower to set traffic signals and to activate train switches that regulate railway traffic in railway yards
- Operate car retarders, turntables and track switches to align locomotives and cars as required for coupling, uncoupling or servicing
- Operate machines and equipment to lay, maintain and repair railway tracks, align tracks, transfer, spread, level and tamp ballast around ties and rails and to clear snow from tracks
- Switch cars according to instructions which indicate the location, disposition and number of cars
- Lubricate moving parts of railway cars and locomotives
- Clean and make minor repairs to machines and equipment
- Patrol assigned track sections to identify and report damaged or broken track
- Perform other track maintenance duties as directed.
Working Conditions for Railway yard and track maintenance workers
Work is performed outdoors, where weather conditions can change and become inclement. Railway vehicles and equipment are often dangerous and workers must remain attentive to their surroundings and signals.
Alternate Job Titles
- Aligner-tamper Operator - Railway
- Anchor-applicator Operator - Railway
- Automatic Anchor-applicator Operator - Railway
- Ballast Regulator Operator - Railway
- Ballast-equalizer Operator - Railway
- Ballast-leveller Operator - Railway
- Car Controller - Railway
- Car Retarder Operator - Railway Yard
- Control Tower Operator - Railway
- Coupler - Railway Yard
- Fitter Tracks - Railway
- Freight Car Distributor - Railway Yard
- Gandy Dancer - Railway
- Interlocking Cabin Switcher - Railway Yard
- Interlocking Signal Box Switcher - Railway Yard
- Journal Box Greaser - Railway Yard
- Lag Bolter Operator - Railway
- Locomotive Attendant - Railway Yard
- Locomotive Distributor - Railway Yard
- Locomotive Engine Servicer
- Locomotive Maintenance Attendant
- Locomotive Servicer
- Machine Operator - Railway
- Maintenance Of Way Employee - Railway
- Maintenance Of Way Inspector - Railway
- Mechanical Tamper Operator - Railway
- Motor Vehicle Operator - Pole Yard
- Rail Grinder - Railway
- Rail Sander
- Rail Saw Operator
- Rail Saw Operator - Railway
- Rail-aligner Operator - Railway
- Rail-grinder Operator - Railway
- Rail-lifter Operator - Railway
- Railway Car Controller - Railway Yard
- Railway Car Distributor
- Railway Car Greaser
- Railway Car Lubricating Specialist
- Railway Car Lubricator
- Railway Car Oiler
- Railway Equipment Operator
- Railway Line Inspector
- Railway Maintenance Equipment Operator
- Railway Signalman/woman
- Railway Tank Car Servicer
- Railway Tie Inspector
- Railway Track Inspector
- Railway Track Maintenance Equipment Operator
- Railway Track Maintenance Worker
- Railway Track Patroller
- Railway Track Repairer
- Railway Track Tamper Operator
- Railway Trackman/woman
- Railway Train Engine Maintenance Worker
- Railway-tie-injector Operator
- Retarder Operator - Railway Yard
- Section Worker - Railway
- Signal Tower Operator - Railway
- Signalman/woman - Railway Transport
- Snowblower Operator - Railway
- Spike Machine Operator - Railway
- Spike Puller Machine Operator - Railway
- Spike-driver Operator - Railway
- Spiker Operator - Railway
- Spiking Machine Operator - Railway
- Switch Tender - Railway Yard
- Switcher - Railway Yard
- Switching Station Switcher - Railway Yard
- Switchman/woman - Railway
- Tamper Operator - Railway
- Tamper-aligner Operator - Railway
- Tamping Machine Operator - Railway
- Tank Car Controller - Railway Yard
- Tie Axe Unit Operator - Railway
- Tie Crane Operator - Railway
- Tie Plate Jack Operator - Railway
- Tie Saw Operator - Railway
- Tie Shear Operator - Railway
- Tie Tamper Operator - Railway
- Tie-bed-scarifier Operator - Railway
- Tie-cutter Operator - Railway
- Tie-cutting Machine Operator - Railway
- Tie-end-remover Operator - Railway
- Tie-injector Operator - Railway
- Tie-placer Operator - Railway
- Tie-plate-placer Operator - Railway
- Tower Operator - Railway Transport
- Towerman/woman - Railway Transport
- Track Broom Machine Operator - Railway
- Track Dresser - Railway
- Track Fitter - Railway
- Track Layer - Railway
- Track Maintenance Worker - Railway
- Track Repairman/woman - Railway
- Track Tamper - Railway
- Track-liner Operator - Railway
- Track-maintenance-machine Operator - Railway
- Trackman/woman - Railway Yard
- Trackmobile Operator - Railway
- Track-surfacing Machine Operator - Railway
- Trackwalker - Railway
- Trainman/woman - Railway Yard
- Transfer Table Operator - Railway Yard
- Turntable Operator - Railway Yard
- Yard Coupler - Railway
- Yard Switchman/woman - Railway Transport
- Yard Trainman/woman
- Yard Worker - Railway
- Yardman/woman - Railway
- Track Maintainer/labourer
- Track Maintenance
- Track Maintainer