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Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
Lay, repair, and maintain track for standard or narrow-gauge railroad equipment used in regular railroad service or in plant yards, quarries, sand and gravel pits, and mines. Includes ballast cleaning machine operators and railroad bed tamping machine operators.
Other titles employers use
Machine Operator · Rail Maintenance Worker · Track Equipment Operator (TEO) · Track Inspector · Track Laborer · Track Maintainer · Track Repairer · Track Walker
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Patrol assigned track sections so that damaged or broken track can be located and reported.
- Repair or adjust track switches, using wrenches and replacement parts.
- Weld sections of track together, such as switch points and frogs.
- Observe leveling indicator arms to verify levelness and alignment of tracks.
- Operate single- or multiple-head spike driving machines to drive spikes into ties and secure rails.
- Operate track wrenches to tighten or loosen bolts at joints that hold ends of rails together.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to practical and organizing work.
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Equipment Maintenance
- Troubleshooting
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
Subjects to know
- Transportation
- Mechanical
- Building and Construction
- Public Safety and Security
- Administration and Management
Useful strengths
- Control Precision
- Manual Dexterity
- Multilimb Coordination
- Problem Sensitivity
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 4.4 | Arm’s length or closer, most of the day |
| On your feet | 3.8 | Up and down through the day |
| Talking face to face | 4.9 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 4.3 | Handling tools, instruments or materials |
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Time accounting software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 5,690
- Job openings each year
- 80
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 15.2%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 5,690 | 80 | 15.2% |
| Texas | 1,970 | 150 | 14.5% |
| Illinois | 1,160 | 80 | 2.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 840 | 60 | — |
| Indiana | 670 | 50 | — |
| Virginia | 500 | 40 | −3.8% |
| Colorado | 440 | 30 | — |
| Kentucky | 440 | 30 | — |
| Minnesota | 410 | 30 | 5.1% |
| Oklahoma | 400 | 30 | — |
| Kansas | 380 | 20 | −11.6% |
| Florida | 340 | 20 | −12.8% |
| Maryland | 340 | 30 | 9.7% |
| North Carolina | 320 | 20 | — |
| Tennessee | 310 | 20 | −6.1% |
| Ohio | 300 | 20 | 3.4% |
| Alabama | 280 | 20 | 3.7% |
| Nebraska | 280 | 20 | 3.7% |
| Iowa | 250 | 20 | 4.2% |
| Washington | 250 | 20 | −3.8% |
| Mississippi | 210 | 20 | 10.5% |
| Arizona | 180 | 10 | −5.3% |
| Michigan | 170 | 10 | −10.5% |
| South Carolina | 170 | 10 | — |
| Wisconsin | 170 | 10 | −10.5% |
| Utah | 160 | 10 | 23.1% |
| Georgia | 140 | 10 | 7.7% |
| Arkansas | 120 | 10 | −7.7% |
| New Jersey | 110 | 10 | — |
| Massachusetts | 100 | 10 | 11.1% |
| New Mexico | 100 | 10 | — |
| Wyoming | 90 | 10 | — |
| Alaska | 80 | 10 | 14.3% |
| West Virginia | 70 | 0 | −30.0% |
| Idaho | 20 | 0 | — |
| Virgin Islands | 10 | 0 | — |
Career to college
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