Friday, November 6, 2015

Links to US Railroad Associations and Organizations by State


The following are selected links to key passenger or freight rail associations and organizations in States across the U.S. This also include links to Departments of Transportation (DOT) web sites.
(11/1/2015)

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Iowa

Illinois

Indiana

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana
Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming


* Check out the AAR State Railroad Association Directory at https://www.aar.org/data-center/railroads-states
** Also, find links to US State Short Line and Regional Railroad Associations at http://www.aslrra.org/about_aslrra/state_railroad_associations/


Thursday, November 5, 2015

US Railroad Statistics by State


US Freight Railroad Statistics by State

The Association of American Railroads(AAR) maintains detailed statistics on US Railroads. If interested, make sure you go to https://www.aar.org/data-center/railroads-states


Total Rail Miles by State: 2012

Rank State
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
State
Texas
Illinois
California
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Kansas
Georgia
Minnesota
Indiana
Missouri
Iowa
Michigan
Wisconsin
New York
Nebraska
North Dakota
Oklahoma
North Carolina
Virginia
Montana
Alabama
Washington
Louisiana
Florida
Arkansas
Colorado
Tennessee
Kentucky
Mississippi
Oregon
South Carolina
West Virginia
Wyoming
New Mexico
South Dakota
Arizona
Idaho
Utah
Nevada
Maine
New Jersey
Massachusetts
Maryland
Vermont
Alaska
Connecticut
New Hampshire
Delaware
District of Columbia
Rhode Island
Hawaii

U.S. Total

Total Rail Miles
10,469
6,986
5,295
5,288
5,151
4,855
4,653
4,450
4,075
3,957
3,869
3,542
3,449
3,447
3,375
3,330
3,273
3,258
3,215
3,200
3,194
3,192
2,927
2,900
2,698
2,662
2,649
2,608
2,452
2,396
2,311
2,226
1,860
1,837
1,753
1,643
1,623
1,343
1,192
1,116
981
973
758
590
506
364
344
250
20
19
0

138,524

* Excludes trackage rights.
Source: Association of American Railroads

Where is your state in the rankings today? Is your state investing in expanding use of railroads?

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Railroad Industry Positions & Career Paths


I have a son who works as a train engineer for a major railroad company. As a result, I am interested in his career and how he might work his way up the corporate hierarchy. Strangely, I had a hard time finding clear cut descriptions of the career path for railroad workers.

The following is my best attempt at sifting through the various resources posted on the web by railroad companies, government agencies, and individuals working in the passenger and freight rail transportation industry across the U.S.

Corporate Management

At the top of most railroad companies are the typical range of management, analysts, and administrative support positions one typically associates with most organizations. You have the President of the company and the Board of Directors. Below them are the various Vice-Presidents and/or Directors for Operations, Finance, Human Resources, Labor Relations, Information Technology, Marketing, Public Affairs, Legal Services, and Supply.

Passenger Train - Operations & Personnel


Managers, supervisors, and employees working in positions specifically related to passenger trains and services in the U.S. include:

  • Station Masters and/or Depot Agent
  • Passenger Management Director
  • Locomotive Engineers
  • Conductors
  • Car Attendants - Porters & Stewards
  • Cooks & Pantry Chefs
  • Ticket Clerks
  • Baggage Clerks
  • Railroad Postal Clerks

Freight Train - Operations & Personnel

Rail transportation in the U.S. consists primarily of freight trains and shipments. The managers, supervisors, and employees working in positions specifically related to freight train operations and maintenance include:

Train Crews - Primarily consist of the following positions:

  • Locomotive Engineer
  • Conductor
  • Brakeman

The Conductor is responsible for the train, the freight and the crew. The Locomotive Engineer is responsible for operating the train locomotives. In addition, some trains still carry Brakemen.

The Road Foreman supervises engineers. Trainmasters supervise conductors, brakemen and other train crew. There is some overlap in their responsibilities.


Train Crew employees are usually assigned to a specific hub and this will dictate the geographic region in which they will work. They may be required to travel to or be assigned work at any location within that hub. Assignments within the hub are based on seniority.

Mechanical Department - Responsible for maintaining and repairing the fleet of locomotives and freight cars. Employees in this department include:

  • Diesel Electrician
  • Diesel Mechanic
  • Freight Car Repairer
  • Mechanical Service Operator

Engineering Department - Responsible for building and maintaining railroad infrastructure, e.g. track, roadways, signals, bridges and buildings.

  • Engineering Manager
  • Mechanical & Electrical Systems Manager
  • Signal Installation & Repair Person
  • Bridge & Building Carpenters
  • Work Equipment Mechanic
  • Track Laborer

Railroad Yard Management - Personnel working in this area include:

  • Yardmasters
  • Rail Yard Engineers
  • Railroad Brake, Signal, or Switch Operators

The Yardmaster is in charge of the rail yard. They manage and coordinate all activities in combining rolling stocks into trains, breaking down trains into individual railroad cars, and switching trains from track-to-track within the rail yard.


Dispatching Center Personnel - Personnel working in this area include:


  • Division Superintendent
  • Freight Traffic Manager
  • Train Dispatcher
  • Crew Dispatcher
  • Tower Operators
  • Special Railroad Police Agents

Engineering, Construction & Survey Personnel - These positions may include:


  • Civil Engineer
  • Surveyors & Rodmen
  • Graders & Track Layer
  • Flagman

Rail Inspection & Maintenance-of-Way


  • Section Foreman
  • Road Foreman
  • Bridge Inspector
  • Track Inspector
  • Signal Maintainer
  • Trackman or Platelayer

Telecommunications - Responsible for the railroads state-of-the-art information and communication technology (ICT) systems.


  • Systems Analysts
  • System Technicians

Finally, to further complicate the picture, many traditional railroad job titles are currently in the process of being changed. For example:

  • Some Trainmaster and Road Foreman positions are being changed to Road Managers
  • Dispatchers are now often called Rail Traffic Controllers
  • Roadmasters are becoming Track Maintenance Supervisors
  • Division Superintendents may now be Operations Service Area Managers


Looking over the material I collected about railroad positions, trying to chart a long range personal career path from an entry level position up the ladder to a senior management position is apparently going to be a real challenge for anyone. It would be interesting to see how many conductors have made their way up through the ranks to Vice-President or a similar senior management position. For many hourly wage workers, an alternative career path may lie in working your way up the union hierarchy.




* You might want to do your own Internet search on Railroad Positions & Career Paths.

Thursday, May 28, 2015

U.S. Railroad Industry - Collected Data, Reports and Studies


The following are a selection of free articles, reports, or studies about the the U.S. Railroad industry and its workers:

  National Rail Plan [Excerpts]


In the United States today, two distinctly different rail systems exist: freight railroads and passenger railroads.
  • Freight railroads are privately owned and operated; they are in business to make a profit for their stockholders.
  • Passenger railroads are publicly subsidized by taxpayers; they provide a public service by offering a safe and environmentally friendly travel option.
  • Investment in higher quality rail service will attract an increasing share of business from shippers and from traveling passengers.
  • Industry and government, working together, must develop and harness new technologies to further improve rail safety, productivity, and performance.
* See National Rail Plan

Readers might also want to check out the following sites providing information on Railroad industry traffic, labor statistics, financial reports, and more.


If you know of any other free reports, studies, or data sources our readers would be interested in, please send us the link.