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Version:
OaSIS 2025 Version 1.0
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74200.01 – Railway yard workers

Railway yard workers regulate yard traffic, couple and uncouple trains and perform related yard activities

Overview

Example job titles

  • Locomotive maintenance attendant
  • Yard trainman/woman
  • Yard worker - railway

Core competencies

  • Operation Monitoring of Machinery and Equipment to track and assess equipment performance, detect operational irregularities and perform basic troubleshooting and maintenance tasks
  • Preventative Maintenance to perform routine inspections of tracks, switches and yard equipment, identifying wear or minor issues, conducting basic repairs and documenting findings
  • Control of Settings to manage and coordinate complex operations involving switching tracks, monitoring train movements and ensuring safety protocols are adhered to in ever changing environments
  • Far Vision to accurately identify and distinguish objects, signals or potential hazards from a distance in varying lighting and weather conditions
  • Attention to Detail to meticulously inspect switching mechanisms during train assembly, ensure compliance with safety protocols and accurately document operational procedures
  • Knowledge in Vehicle, Machinery and Equipment Operations to understand operating, maintaining and repairing complex rail yard machinery and equipment, including sophisticated signaling systems and heavy-duty rail handling equipment

Main duties

This group performs 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
  • Switch cars according to instructions which indicate the location, disposition and number of cars
  • Lubricate moving parts of railway cars and locomotives.

Additional information

  • Progression to a position such as brakeman is possible with experience.

Similar occupations classified elsewhere

Exclusions:

  • Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews (72021)
  • Railway and motor transport labourers (75211)
  • Railway conductors and brakemen/women (73311)
  • Supervisors, railway transport operations (72023)

NOC hierarchy breakdown

NOC version

NOC 2021 Version 1.0

Broad occupational category

7 – Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations

TEER

4 – Occupations usually require a secondary school diploma; or several weeks of on-the-job training

Major group

74 – Mail and message distribution, other transport equipment operators and related maintenance workers

Sub-major group

742 – Transport equipment operators, utility maintenance and related workers

Minor group

7420 – Transport equipment operators, utility maintenance and related maintenance workers

Unit group

74200 – Railway yard and track maintenance workers

Occupational profile

74200.01 – Railway yard workers

O*NET in-it

This page includes information from the O*NET 27.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Employment and Social Development Canada has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.