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OaSIS 2025 Version 1.0
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74200.02 – Railway track maintenance workers

Railway track maintenance workers operate machines and equipment to lay, maintain and repair railway tracks.

Overview

Example job titles

  • Railway track maintenance equipment operator
  • Railway track maintenance worker
  • Railway track patroller
  • Railway track repairer
  • Railway trackman/woman

Core competencies

  • Preventative Maintenance to provide routine inspections, minor repairs, track alignment and drainage maintenance to ensure track safety and prevent major defects
  • Operation and Control to operate machines and equipment, such as tie cutters, tie injectors, tie anchors, rail lifters, spike drivers or spike pullers
  • Control of Settings to have full control over diagnostic tools and repair equipment, ensuring precise adjustments and real-time troubleshooting to maintain track integrity and safety
  • Multi-Limb Coordination to precisely operate hand and foot controls of specialized machinery and handling tools and navigate complex environments for efficient, accurate and safe track repairs and maintenance tasks
  • Collaboration to coordinate with team to inspect, repair and maintain railway tracks, sharing real-time updates on conditions and troubleshoot issues together
  • Knowledge in Vehicle, Machinery and Equipment Operations to understand operating and maintaining complex track machinery and equipment, including rail grinders, tampers and alignment machines

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Operate machines and equipment such as sleeper sliders, anchors, rail lifters, drag drills, drag diggers, rail saws and tie-bar cranes to lay, maintain, repair and align railway tracks to transfer, spread, level and tamp ballast around ties and rails and to clear snow from tracks
  • 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.

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

74200.02 – Railway track maintenance 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.