https://www.rrb.gov/PandS/Jobs/rrjobs.asp#train
The Railroad Retirement Board maintains a list of job vacancies. I'm not sure how often it's updated and I've known of openings that never made the RRB list, but it is a start.
Looking at the current list, almost all TE&Y vacancies are on short lines or regionals. The only one related to a class 1 I see is a conductor opening for the DM&E which is part of the Canadian Pacific.
Almost all of the major class 1 carriers have furloughed people right now. I've heard that NS was taking applications. Most railroads also have their own websites that list openings. It pays to check them often. Again TE&Y will most likely be with the regionals and short lines for the near future. Forecasts by the big roads is that traffic levels won't grow much until 2017. Just keep your eyes and ears open for opprotunities.
Good Luck.
Jeff
All I can add is that the railroads seem to attract top quality people.. you'll have competition going in.
The MooseTickSo with that said, what do you guys think? Should I go do this job, or do something better? Any thoughts are gladly appreciated!
I'm going to say something just a little different. You should not have the attitude about 'go do this job' in the first place. You need a different, much more professional, and much more considered 'think' about it first.
As NDG (I hope) will confirm to you here, railroads are not like most other jobs, in that you MUST have an always-and-everywhere Safety First! mentality ... and the personal professional discipline to carry it out in everything you do.
So you need to get a copy of the applicable rules (e.g. GCOR or NORAC depending on the area you're in, plus the special rules your target carrier uses) and study them until you know them cold. Talk to railroaders here about what's important and unimportant ... and what pitfalls you have to start training yourself against now, before you have to learn them on the job (perhaps in blood).
Grades aren't that important except insofar as they show your ability to learn and then apply what you learn without careless errors. You'll get another chance to get 'good grades' during your training -- don't waste it.
And don't make the mistake of thinking that a 'goody two-shoes' observation of rules is enough to make you a good railroader. It would be nice if it were that simple ... no, actually, it wouldn't be all that nice. You'll be in a more important team as part of a railroad crew as you ever were anywhere else, and you will have to earn their respect to be effective on that team. Learning your carrier's 'culture' (and by that I mean at the men's level, not the corporate-weenie level) is going to be critical, and there are no good 'manuals' to teach you that.
Apply. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Hello All,
So I'm going to be graduating high school soon and I'm thinking about becoming a railroad conductor. I understand that it's an on-call 24/7/365 nights weekends and holidays kind of job. I personally wouldn't mind that.
As far as me right now, I'm currently working fast food, I have a drivers license and a clean driving and criminal record. However, my grades aren't that good as I would like them to be.
So with that said, what do you guys think? Should I go do this job, or do something better? Any thoughts are gladly appreciated!
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.