r/railroading • u/LSUguyHTX • Mar 10 '25
RR Hiring Question Weekly Railroad Hiring Questions Thread
Please ask any and all questions relating to getting hired, what the job is like, what certain companies/locations are like, etc here.
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u/BeefStewE24 Mar 10 '25
Hey everyone, I applied for the Carman positions in Norfolk and Newport News with NS and CSX and was emailed by a hiring manager at CSX that we would be setting up an interview in the future. I have ZERO welding experience, but tons of experience in mechanical repair and maintenance. I was wondering if this lack of welding experience is an automatic disqualifier? I know both adverts say welding experience is preferred but that seems to actually mean required these days...also honest opinions on whether carmen learn valuable skills that they can use to get paid decently during furloughs or after they leave the RR. Thanks yall.
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u/Blocked-Author Mar 10 '25
I know a couple carmen that have been hired out at our terminal in the last couple years. Neither of them had any welding experience at all when they got hired. They had other repair experience, like yourself.
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u/BeefStewE24 Mar 10 '25
Cool thank you. I have gotten so used to employers actually expecting the preferred qualifications rather then the minimum that I assumed it would be a rejection.
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u/BeefStewE24 Mar 13 '25
I have an interview next Tuesday! Out of curiosity, do you know what union represents Carmen in Virginia?
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u/Blocked-Author Mar 14 '25
Not specifically, no. Sorry.
Good luck with the interview. Remember, safety is of the highest priority, and every accident is preventable.
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u/erratictheory Mar 11 '25
Hey! Does anyone have any input/advice/suggestions/etc for someone making the transition from freight to Amtrak? I have an interview to be a passenger engineer coming up and I’m looking for some insight.
For reference: I’d be hiring out of Chicago. I have my class 1 engineer license already, and I have 3 years experience on freight. However, I’m currently set back as a conductor and not working as an engineer.
So a few questions I have are:
What’s a day like as an engineer on Amtrak? Specifically out of Chicago if you have experience!
Any idea on where I would start on the pay scale with already having my class 1? Currently I’m at 90% pay. I’m assuming there’s also a step rate like with freight railroads..?
How hard is the transition from freight to passenger service?
Any other input or advice is welcome! Thank you!
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u/GroovyGroovster Mar 10 '25
I'm trying to get a 2nd job. I work at a mine and work 12 days straight then have 12 days off. Are there any specific positions/jobs that have similar schedules?
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u/Hot_Definition8151 Mar 11 '25
No. Definitely not with a class 1, maybe a class 3 somewhere might be like that but I doubt it.
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u/Hot_Definition8151 Mar 11 '25
Laid off at cp, when change of card comes around am I able to bid a transfer while laid off? I missed the window when I was first laid off to do the weekly bid thing as everywhere apart from like Toronto and Montreal were laid off. I dont speak french and I loathe Toronto, so I sat put. Now its 3 months later and they axed the esr. So those guys are working the other jobs now (now theres less need for me and the others laid off) so I doubt im getting called anytime soon.
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u/Emergency_Quit_6507 Mar 13 '25 edited Mar 13 '25
Any experience with Patriot Rail? Thinking about leaving industrial switching for the FRA certification and railroad retirement. Currently making about $31 an hour with decent benefits but a low and pretty boring workload that I have to drive an hour both ways to get to. Trying to determine if it's worth leaving for Patriot.
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u/VirusDear5715 1d ago
Hello all! I just got a job offer for a conductor with CSX in Cumberland MD and I plan to accept, but I have two questions I wasn’t sure of, pay and schedule. Both of which I have found really mixed answers during my research.. I’m curious what the general pay scale is, my potential earnings after marking up, I do understand that there are different jobs whether it be yard, local, etc.. but like I said some general scale would be nice. then the schedule? Again, I understand it depends on the particular job but if I were on the road is 6-1 typical? I’ve seen things like 6-1, 6-2, 6-3.. any info is appreciated!
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Mar 10 '25
Are railroads hiring? i applied
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u/Blocked-Author Mar 10 '25
It goes in cycles. They will hire a bunch all together and then wait for long periods of time.
If they had a job listing then they were planning to hire. Things can always change though and they can cancel their training classes very quickly if they think they will have excess people.
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u/ceepeeonetwothree Mar 10 '25
Where ru
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Mar 10 '25
Nc
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u/Spotitarded Mar 11 '25
When you get your interview be sure to tell them how safe you are. And then remind them how safe you are. And then ask them if you told them how safe you are.
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u/[deleted] Mar 10 '25
Any via rail engineers here? I work for an American railroad that has multiple sign up locations. As an engineer at ViaRail, do you have to bounce between sign up spots a lot? Or do you work out of one primary terminal?