The Conductor is responsible for coordinating the activities of train crew on freight trains and is responsible for the safe switching of railcars and movements across the network.
Receives and relays information and acts upon oral and written from dispatcher, customer service, and others specifying the switch activity, placement or delivery of railroad cars and/or train
Reads and understands the book of rules, timetables, bulletins, train orders, waybills, placards, safety instructions and other written or printed material
Prepares required daily reports; switch lists manually or with a computer; fills out forms including train orders
Ensure compliance with all train orders, signals, and railroad rules and regulations for safety, operations, and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)
Conducts the movement or rail cars and train movements
Climb on and off equipment, set or release hand brakes, operate switches, couple and uncouple air hoses between rail cars, remove and replace broken knuckles (80lb railcar connector), ride moving cars by hanging on grab irons for long periods of time, or ladders
Observe, interpret and relay hand, lantern, and other signals affecting the movement of the train, judge and control the speed and clearance distance of cars and distinguish among colors and see at night
Properly operate track switches and derails to change routing of engines or cars within yards or on the road
Ability to make decisions about switching, placement of cars and building of trains
Monitor track conditions (e.g. broken rails, defective switches, weather-related problems)
Maintain awareness of surrounding area and suspicious activity to ensure rail safety
Inspect cars in conformance with Federal Railroad Administration Regulations. Observe the condition of passing trains
Assist with other projects and perform other duties as assigned
Must be able to stoop, bend, kneel, crouch, crawl, balance, climb and work in confined areas
Must meet all physical requirements as described in the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Regulations, including auditory and vision
Must be able to handle medium to heavy work; ability to lift a minimum of 50 to 80 pounds to waist height
Able to use hands to perform activities involving holding, grasping, turning and pulling.
Able to perform work on uneven surfaces; frequently climb ladders and on/off equipment; work on top of locomotives and other equipment
Able to work in conditions that include loud noise and fumes, work on and around heavy and moving machinery, bend, lift, walk, stand and sit for extended periods of time and use hand tools
Walk long distances over uneven terrain
Must have strong vision and hearing, including the ability to: see and read hand signals from near and far; distinguish between colors; visually judge the speed and distance of moving objects; see at night; and recognize changes in sounds.