Does anyone on here work for a railroad? CSX, NS, etc.? My current job is becoming a dead end money wise and I have been considering a career change. I work for a fire department currently, some college but no degree. Trains have always interested me and I have always been told they still offer great benefits. How difficult is it to get on with them having no experience? I'm sure it can vary greatly with individual jobs, but what are the work schedules and travel like? Appreciate the input guys.
Anyone work for the railroad?
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Its on call 24/7 as you will not have enough seniority to hold yard/local jobs (unless they are hurting real bad) If you can handle working outside in the weather and being subject to call at anytime during the day, having no days off than go for it, no experience is usually needed, they will train you
I work for CP in Wis, and all in all its a great job and your set once you retire, you do cap out at engineer however unless you make a move to management, although youll pry make less, our gurantee is like 5100 a month and we are the lowest paying class 1, if your have an interest than I say go for it
I work for CP in Wis, and all in all its a great job and your set once you retire, you do cap out at engineer however unless you make a move to management, although youll pry make less, our gurantee is like 5100 a month and we are the lowest paying class 1, if your have an interest than I say go for it
The seniority is the key here. Without it your bumped like crazy and one week your sitting in a truck in Newburg and then next you're laying track in SE PA.
My uncle has worked for decades with Conrail and continues now with whatever name it is. It's cutthroat to say the least.
Thanks for the info. I've heard that especially in the beginning the schedule can be crazy like that. How many hours a week do you average? Overtime at anything past 40 hours? I'm already averaging 56 hour work weeks right now, but it's straight time for the first 53 hours. Also, is the retirement 25/30 years ? Minimum age as well?
On normal id make 3 round trips a week, you can only be on the train for 12hrs per the FRA, and you are guaranteed at least 10 off when you tie up. So at the max 24hrs being stuck on the train and who knows how long youd be stuck in the hotel. So on average your looking at 50 hrs a week depending on how long your trips take. My OT didn't start till like 11hrs 45min, but that coincides with how far your trip is, mine is only 173 miles. You money is made as soon as you depart your intitial terminal, but there are ways you can make more such as tow in if you die for time enroute, anything after 12 is OT. There are also different pools for different routes/jobs, that may pay different, but seniority is the key. The min age is 60 for full benefits and you have to have 30yrs in.
I've heard that BNSF around me likes people who have no experience, that way they can train you how they want you.
you might want to look into Amtrak i have a friend that just got a job with them and pay for 3 months of training in the east coast.
Track Supervisor here. It can be rough starting out as mentioned with the seniority. I'd suggest going in at management, but there is no shame in coming in through the ranks.
Also decide if you want operate trains, repair trains, repair signals, or work on the track.
I started with NS as a track supervisor and currently work in Transit Rail. Still on call 24/7, but much better work and home schedule.
Also decide if you want operate trains, repair trains, repair signals, or work on the track.
I started with NS as a track supervisor and currently work in Transit Rail. Still on call 24/7, but much better work and home schedule.
I have my own lantern and my Engineer Bill cap from when I was six.
So except for my age I guess I qualify.
So except for my age I guess I qualify.
01cobravortech
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Out of college I worked for NJ Transit. It was cool at first. But man it got old punching tickets. Track guys in NJ get paid very well. The job wasn't difficult at all by any stretch of the imagination. But that boredom and monotonous work just gets to you, if you prize satisfaction and usefulness in your work. There is a great deal of nepotism in that industry....
Appreciate the feedback. I'm at the point where I want something that pays decent and will actually provide a realistic retirement. If the job isn't interesting but actually allows me to have a family then that would do the trick. At this juncture there is no way I can afford to do college, so I'm looking at careers that provide you with training.
Another railroader here, been doing it for 15 years. As others have said, it can be a good job, but it's a lot to put up with at times. Being on-call gets old, but you'll get used to it after a while. If you decide to try this as a career and are able to get a job with one of them, be prepared to work nights, weekends, holidays, etc. Most class 1 railroads are 24/7 and 365 day operations, the only day we shut down for is Christmas. All the other holidays are like any other day, business as usual.
We have excellent benefits and retirement and you can make a truck load of money if you stay with it, just figure on the RR owning you for several years until you gain enough seniority to hold a regular job. Just because you hire on for a specific location doesn't necessarily mean that you will actually work at that location, your seniority will dictate where you will work, and that may be someplace far from where you live. I'm a locomotive engineer, have been for 11 years, I love my job.
Anyway, that's just my two cents. This career is what you make of it. Pay attention to your surroundings. Leaving home at home and leave work at work is the name of the game. I say that because, if you let it, it will invade your home life in a big way.
Good luck if you decide to go for it.
We have excellent benefits and retirement and you can make a truck load of money if you stay with it, just figure on the RR owning you for several years until you gain enough seniority to hold a regular job. Just because you hire on for a specific location doesn't necessarily mean that you will actually work at that location, your seniority will dictate where you will work, and that may be someplace far from where you live. I'm a locomotive engineer, have been for 11 years, I love my job.
Anyway, that's just my two cents. This career is what you make of it. Pay attention to your surroundings. Leaving home at home and leave work at work is the name of the game. I say that because, if you let it, it will invade your home life in a big way.
Good luck if you decide to go for it.
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Been a rail for 9 years.. I ****ing love it.. Never was a fan of trains. Sorta fell into the job. It took 6 years chasing my seniority to finally hold what pool/board I want in my terminal. It took a year or two to get used to living/working off your cell phone, and being on call.
Now I have no interest in a 9-5 wake up by the alarm clock job.. You call me when you need me to work.. Some days suck..real bad.. Some days are great. I made 411.00 dollars today in 5 hours. Some days I earn that money, but not today. I've been on duty for over 30 hours in snow storms.. I've killed 3 people. It's not for everyone.
Now I have no interest in a 9-5 wake up by the alarm clock job.. You call me when you need me to work.. Some days suck..real bad.. Some days are great. I made 411.00 dollars today in 5 hours. Some days I earn that money, but not today. I've been on duty for over 30 hours in snow storms.. I've killed 3 people. It's not for everyone.
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I'm waiting on an interview with UP, out of Portland Oregon. After 20 years in the Navy, 13 of them on board ship, with multiple month long deployments overseas, I don't see how working for the railroad can be any harder or difficult.
Just started with UP... I'm the grunt (track labor guy for now)
They talk all this non sense about how hard it is, etc..
I can imagine it being hard for a guy who worked IT and coming out here.
I'm prior military so it's not really hard to me.
70+ hour work weeks = nice checks
It's all in what you make of it. Seniority thing sucks but it's not like they will bump you and you'll be out of work completely. You just might not work exactly where you want/doing what you want, until you bid on something else.
They talk all this non sense about how hard it is, etc..
I can imagine it being hard for a guy who worked IT and coming out here.
I'm prior military so it's not really hard to me.
70+ hour work weeks = nice checks
It's all in what you make of it. Seniority thing sucks but it's not like they will bump you and you'll be out of work completely. You just might not work exactly where you want/doing what you want, until you bid on something else.
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We are also economy driven. When we tanked in 08, we knew the crisis was gonna happen when we seen our car loadings went from 200k a week to 50k a week..That Is not good for the TE@Y employee.. (TE@Y = Trainman, Engineer, Yard). I had to travel over 400 miles to work in another state, leaving my family, and living out of my pick up sleeping in the parking lot, because the RR will not provide lodging for you.
And another thing, Guys here have said we can only work 12 hours. This is true, but that only means we have to stop moving the train in 12. That doesn't mean you get off in 12. You can be hours away from a terminal. You can rot another 3-4 hours for a relief crew- then drive another 2 hours to a terminal and then wait for 30 minutes for a hotel. Days do get frustrating, but you make a shit ton of cash.. We call this blood money..
I'd say 80% of our new generation rails are prior military, they adapt very well. Ditch diggers, and people that have sweat for pennies do very well here. IT guys, well lets just say they end up in management.
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