7304-NOC

Railway conductors and brakemen / women

(NOC 73311)
Annual Earnings
$83,424
Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities
College Diploma or Apprenticeship, less than 2 years
Job Openings
(2023-2033)
510

Career Overview

Railway conductors and brakemen and brakewomen work for railway transport companies.

Railway conductors:

  • Coordinate and supervise the activities of passenger and freight train crew members

Brakemen/women:

  • Check train brakes and other systems and equipment prior to train run
  • Help railway conductors with activities en route

 

Duties

Railway conductors:

  • Supervise and coordinate the activities of passenger and freight train crew members (except locomotive engineers) to make sure train operations follow schedule, train orders and code of operating rules
  • Receive train orders and explain them to brakemen/women, locomotive engineer and other crew members
  • Communicate with train crew members by radio, signals or by other means to give and receive train operation information
  • Collect fares on board passenger trains, announce approaching train stops and answer passenger inquiries
  • Prepare train run reports

Brakemen/women:

  • Check train systems and equipment such as air conditioning and heating systems, brakes and brake hoses prior to train run
  • Communicate with train crew members by radio, signals or by other means to aid in the movement and operation of train
  • Receive orders from traffic controllers, observe signals and track conditions and open and close track switches
  • Set and release hand brakes and connect air brake hoses to couple and switch passenger or freight cars, making minor repairs to couplings, air hoses and wheel-bearing boxes as needed
  • Help with collecting fares
  • Helping passengers on and off train

 

Earnings

Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.

Annual Earnings

$83,424

Provincial Hourly Rate

High$49.04/hr
Median$40.00/hr
Low$25.00/hr
Source: B.C. Labour Market Information Office, derived from 2023 Job Bank Wage data

Work Environment

# Workers Employed

1,130

% Employed Full Time

60%
Source: 2021 Census

Key aspects of the work in this occupation:

  • Work takes place indoors and outdoors, so workers may be exposed to various weather conditions
  • Work also takes place on trains
  • Working with equipment, instruments, machinery or power/hand tools may be a potential source of injury
  • The workplace may be noisy enough to affect hearing

 

Career Pathways

Career path information is currently not available.

Occupational Interests

It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.

For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.

Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:

Realistic
Realistic

Job Titles

Brakeman/woman
Conductor - switching yard
Freight train conductor
Front-end brakeman/woman
Passenger train conductor
Railway conductor
Road freight brakeman/woman
Tail-end brakeman/woman

Education, Training and Skills

  • Completion of secondary school is usually required
  • Experience as a brakeman/woman is required for conductors
  • Experience as a railway worker is usually required for brakemen/women
  • Railway conductors require a Canadian Rail Operating Rules certificate
  • Brakemen/women require a Canadian Rail Operating Rules certificate

 

Education programs in B.C.

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Find out more information about programs offered specifically for this career.

Skills

Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.

Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.

See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!

Monitoring

Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

64%
Operations Monitoring

Watching gauges, dials or other indicators to make sure that a machine is working properly.

62%
Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

60%
Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

60%
Speaking

Talking to others to share information effectively.

59%
Operation and Control

Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

57%
Coordination

Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

57%
Time Management

Managing one’s own time and the time of others.

57%
Judgment and Decision Making

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

57%
Complex Problem Solving

Being able to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.

52%

Labour Market Statistics

Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.

Employment

Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.

Employment

1,130
Source: 2021 Census

Employment by Region

Map of BC Map of BC highlighting Cariboo region Map of BC highlighting Kootenay region Map of BC highlighting Mainland/Southwest region Map of BC highlighting North Coast and Nechako region Map of BC highlighting Northeast region Map of BC highlighting Thompson-Okanagan region Map of BC highlighting Vancouver Island/Coast region
Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
Region Employment % Employment of this Occupation
Cariboo 165 14.7%
Kootenay 90 8.0%
Mainland/Southwest 435 38.7%
North Coast and Nechako 95 8.4%
Northeast 15 1.3%
Thompson-Okanagan 305 27.1%
Vancouver Island/Coast 20 1.8%
Source: 2021 Census

Labour Market Outlook

The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.

Forecasted Job Openings (2023-2033)

510
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Forecasted Job Openings

Forecasted Employment Growth Rate

Composition of Job Openings

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Job Openings by Region (2023-2033)

Map of BC Map of BC highlighting Cariboo region Map of BC highlighting Kootenay region Map of BC highlighting Mainland/Southwest region Map of BC highlighting North Coast and Nechako region Map of BC highlighting Northeast region Map of BC highlighting Thompson-Okanagan region Map of BC highlighting Vancouver Island/Coast region
Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
Region Job Openings Avg. Annual Employment Growth
Cariboo 0 -1.9%
Kootenay 10 -1.0%
Mainland/Southwest 120 -0.3%
North Coast and Nechako 170 2.7%
Northeast 0 -2.9%
Thompson-Okanagan 140 3.8%
Vancouver Island/Coast 70 5.7%
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Industry Highlights

Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.

Forecasted Job Openings by Industry

IndustryJob Openings (2023-2033)
Transportation And Warehousing510
For additional industry information, visit the Industry Profiles page.
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Resources

Resource information is currently not available.