Index
Intro
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.
Progression to a position such as brakeman is possible with experience.
Main Duties
Railway yard and track maintenance workers perform some or all of the following duties:
- 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.
Employment Requirements
- Some secondary school education is usually required.
- Experience as a railway labourer is required.
- On the job training is provided
- Railway yard workers require a Canadian Rail Operating Rules certificate.
All Titles
- aligner-tamper operator – railway
- anchor-applicator operator – railway
- attendant, locomotives – railway yard
- 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
- controller, cars – railway
- controller, railway cars – railway yard
- controller, tank cars – railway yard
- coupler – railway yard
- distributor, freight cars – railway yard
- distributor, railway cars
- equipment operator, railway
- fitter tracks – railway
- freight car distributor – railway yard
- gandy dancer – railway
- greaser, journal boxes – railway yard
- greaser, railway cars
- grinder operator, rails – railway
- grinder, rails – railway
- inspector, railway lines
- 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
- lubricator, railway cars
- machine operator – railway
- maintenance equipment operator, railway track
- maintenance of way employee – railway
- maintenance of way inspector – railway
- mechanical tamper operator – railway
- motor vehicle operator – pole yard
- oiler, railway cars
- operator, mechanical tamper – railway
- operator, railway equipment
- operator, railway tie injector
- operator, retarder – railway yard
- operator, track liner – railway
- operator, track maintenance machine – railway
- operator, track-surfacing machine – railway
- operator, turntable – railway yard
- patroller, railway track
- 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 line inspector
- railway maintenance equipment operator
- railway signalman/womanrailway signalman, railway signalwoman, signalman, railway, signalwoman, railway
- railway tank car servicer
- railway tie inspector
- railway track inspector
- railway track maintenance equipment operator
- railway track maintenance worker
- railway track patroller
- railway track repairerrailway track repairman, railway track repairwoman, track repairman, railway, track repairwoman, railway
- railway track tamper operator
- railway trackman/womanrailway trackman, railway trackwoman, trackman, railway, trackwoman, railway
- railway train engine maintenance worker
- railway-tie-injector operator
- retarder operator – railway yard
- section worker – railway
- servicer, locomotives
- signal tower operator – railway
- signalman/woman – railway transportsignalman – railway transport, signalwoman – railway transport
- signalman/woman, railway
- 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 yardswitchman – railway, switchwoman – railway
- switcher – railway yard
- switcher, interlocking cabins – railway yard
- switcher, interlocking signal boxes – railway yard
- switcher, switching station – railway yard
- switching station switcher – railway yard
- switchman/woman – railway
- switchman/woman, yard – railway transportswitchman, yard – railway transport, switchwoman, yard – railway transport, yard switchman – railway transport, yard switchwoman – railway transport
- tamper operator – railway
- tamper operator, railway tracks
- tamper-aligner operator – railway
- tamping machine operator – railway
- tank car controller – railway yard
- tie axe unit operator – railway
- tie crane operator – railway
- tie inspector, 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 transporttowerman – railway transport, towerwoman – railway transport
- towerman/woman – railway transport
- track broom machine operator – railway
- track dresser – railway
- track fitter – railway
- track inspector, railway
- track layer – railway
- track maintenance equipment operator, railway
- track maintenance worker – railway
- track patroller, railway
- track repairer, railway
- track repairman/woman – railwaytrack repairman – railway, track repairwoman – railway
- track tamper – railway
- track-liner operator – railway
- track-maintenance-machine operator – railway
- trackman/woman – railway yardtrackman – railway yard, trackwoman – railway yard
- trackman/woman, railway
- trackmobile operator – railway
- track-surfacing machine operator – railway
- trackwalker – railway
- trainman/woman – railway yardtrainman – railway yard, trainwoman – railway yard
- trainman/woman, yardtrainman, yard, trainwoman, yard, yard trainman, yard trainwoman
- 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
Exclusions
- Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews (7302)
- Railway and motor transport labourers (7622)
- Railway conductors and brakemen/women (7362)
- Supervisors of railway yard workers (See 7304 Supervisors, railway transport operations)