Railroad Jobs Needed in America

You decided to pursue the railroad classes at your community college. You found a major that was not impacted, a job market with open arms. You now sit in an Evolution Series locomotive. You were young, but now you have the world upon your shoulders.
At your hand is the throttle; it controls four synchronized 4400 horsepower locomotives. You are responsible for containing these horses behind the red signal that a Fort Worth dispatcher has given you. It is not yet safe to proceed towards Barstow.
Behind eager horses, your manifest- 1500 automobiles bound for Richmond, California. Two years ago you were tossing a football around, and now you are responsible for $30 million in cargo.
Safety comes first. Work safely, prevent accidents, and the railroad will operate smoothly. Freight will move on time, on schedule if you work safely. Always sound the highball before rolling the train from a stop. Operation Lifesaver classes taught you that automobiles often cannot see the train at a crossing. An auto's safety is your safety. This is what it means to be an engineer.
It is a lot of responsibility to be an engineer. It takes a special person to step up to that responsibility. The railroads need that type of employee, and they are willing to pay and pay well. Railroad wages and benefits aren’t going away.
In 2005, US railroads employed over 181,000 people. That number was up to 186,000 in 2006. The average railroad employee made $65,618 in wages, and $90,716 after benefits in 2005.
Railroad jobs are needed in America. The infrastructure of transportation is bound in the country. Transportation, by its nature, cannot be outsourced. Whether America buys foreign or domestic goods, these goods move over the United States transportation infrastructure. America’s transportation employees handle this movement. They do now and always will.



Source:

Class 1 Railroad Statistics: Association of American Railroads: Policy & Economics Department P. 1-7

BNSF ES44AC, CSX SD70MAC, Norfolk Southern SD70ACe and Union Pacific SD70ACe magnets available at customtrainsusa.com