Occupational Profile

Canadian Pacific Railway

Railway Car Technician

Railway car technicians inspect, test, maintain, repair and fabricate railway passenger and freight car equipment.

Avg. Salary N/A
Avg. Wage N/A
Minimum Education High school diploma
Outlook N/A
In Demand Lower

Also Known As

Carman, Rail Car Mechanic, Mechanic, Service Technician

NOC & Interest Codes

The Railway Car Technician is part of the following larger National Occupational Classification (NOC).

Railway Carmen/women NOC 7314

Railway Carmen/women

NOC code: 7314

OBJECTIVE: Interest in precision working to test and adjust parts using test gauges and other test equipment
METHODICAL: Interest in replacing damaged windows, repairing upholstery and repainting wood fixtures, and in performing and documenting routine maintenance
INNOVATIVE: Interest in compiling information to repair defective and damaged metal and wood components, to repair and install railway car parts such as compressors, air valves, bearings, couplings, air cylinders and piping, and to repair and maintain electrical and electronic controls for propulsion and braking systems

Reading Interest Codes

A Quick Guide

The interest code helps you figure out if you’d like to work in a particular occupation. It’s based on the Canadian Work Preference Inventory (CWPI), which measures 5 occupational interests: Directive, Innovative, Methodical, Objective and Social.

Each set of 3 interest codes is listed in order of importance.

A code in capital letters means it’s a strong fit for the occupation.

A code in all lowercase letters means the fit is weaker.

Learn More

Duties

Updated Mar 08, 2015

Railway car technicians may work on passenger cars, freight cars or both. In general, they:

inspect rail cars coming into the rail yard to identify defects and determine the extent of wear and damage
test air brakes before trains leave the rail yard
repair or replace broken, defective or worn car components such as brake parts, wheels, bearings, pistons, gears and steel parts, ladders and doors
record information about defects, repairs and time required for repairs.

Railway car technicians often make minor repairs in rail yards or on repair tracks. If major repairs are required, they send rail cars to repair shops. When cars come off rails, technicians work from repair trucks and use mobile cranes to rerail cars.

In rail repair shops, railway car technicians:

perform scheduled maintenance and upgrade rail cars
work from blueprints, shop sketches and instruction manuals to repair, fabricate and install steel or wood fittings
repair and install parts such as air valves, bearings, air cylinders and piping
use test gauges to test and adjust parts
paint car exteriors and interiors.

Sometimes the cars in need of repair are not owned by the railway company that makes the repairs. When this occurs, technicians must do the paper or computer work required to invoice the other railway company for repair services.

Working Conditions

Updated Mar 08, 2015

Railway car technicians are required to work on top of and under equipment, often in confined areas. They work indoors in shops and outdoors in all weather conditions. The working environment often is noisy, dusty and dirty. Lifting up to 20 kilograms is required.

Since railway yards operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, technicians must work shifts. Some overtime work may be required. When cars come off tracks, technicians must travel to the site of the derailment.

Strength Required Lift up to 20 kg

Skills & Abilities

Updated Mar 08, 2015

Railway car technicians need the following characteristics:

an aptitude for mechanical work
an aptitude for mathematics
an interest in electrical work, welding and steel fabrication
excellent manual dexterity
good vision
good hearing.

They should enjoy:

using tools, equipment and machinery to perform tasks requiring precision
having clear rules and organized methods for their work
trouble shooting problems.

Educational Requirements

Updated Mar 08, 2015

Railway car technicians must successfully complete an internal three to four year apprenticeship program offered by railway companies or provincially recognized training providers in the provinces where this trade is recognized. Applicants must have a valid driver's licence and be 18 years of age and a high school diploma or related technical training. Applicants for railway car technician apprentice positions may be asked to:

write aptitude tests that assess their ability to follow instructions and their mechanical and mathematical abilities
take a medical examination
pass a performance test.

Welding or metal fabrication experience and the ability to read and create blueprint printouts and diagrams are definite assets.

Apprentices first attend classroom training programs, then rotate jobs working with different journeyperson railway car technicians, and periodically return to the classroom for training in areas such as railway welding. They are gradually given more and more responsibility.

Railway car technicians must keep up with new rules and regulations that are issued each year regarding repair techniques and invoicing procedures.

For a broad list of programs and courses that may be related to this occupation try searching using keywords.

Employment & Advancement

Updated Mar 08, 2015

Railway car technicians are employed by railway companies and private railway car owners. Prospective apprentices are often recruited from among current employees.

Car technicians may advance to supervisory positions and later to management positions. It is possible for technicians to change employers but this occupation is unique to the rail industry and few railway car technicians transfer their skills to other industries.

Railway car technicians are part of the larger 2011 National Occupational Classification 7314: Railway Carmen/women. In Alberta, 90% of people employed in this classification work in the Transportation and Warehousing industry.

The employment outlook in this occupation will be influenced by a wide variety of factors including:

trends and events affecting overall employment (especially in the Transportation and Warehousing industry)
location in Alberta
employment turnover (work opportunities generated by people leaving existing positions)
occupational growth (work opportunities resulting from the creation of new positions that never existed before)
size of the occupation.

Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few years.

Wage & Salary

Updated Mar 08, 2015

Railway car technicians earn from $26 to $34 an hour (2014 estimate).

Related High School Subjects

Mathematics
Science
- Physics
Trades, Manufacturing and Transportation
- Fabrication
- Mechanics