Railway carmen / women
Career Overview
Railway carmen/women:
- Inspect, troubleshoot, maintain and repair structural and mechanical components of railway freight, passenger and urban transit rail cars
- Work for railway transport companies and urban transit systems
Job Titles
Duties
Railway carmen/women perform some or all of the following duties:
- Inspect interior and exterior components of freight, passenger and urban transit rail cars to determine defects and extent of wear and damage
- Repair and install railway car parts such as compressors, air valves, bearings, couplings, air cylinders and piping
- Repair and maintain electrical and electronic controls for propulsion and braking systems
- Repair defective or damaged metal and wood components, using hand and power tools
- Repair and repaint wooden fixtures
- Replace damaged windows and repair upholstery
- Test and adjust parts using testing gauges and other test equipment
- Perform and document routine maintenance
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.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
320% Employed Full Time
78%Key aspects of the work in this occupation:
- Work takes place in an indoor environment where temperatures may vary
- Work also takes place outdoors, so workers may be exposed to various weather conditions
- Working with equipment, machinery or power/hand tools may be a source of injury
- Workers may be exposed to electrical circuitry or other equipment that may be a source of electrical shock
- Workers may be exposed to emissions of steam or hot surfaces that could cause injury
Career Pathways
Progression to supervisory positions is possible with experience.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
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For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
- Completion of secondary school is usually required
- Completion of an industry-offered apprenticeship program or three to four years of on-the-job training is usually required
Education programs in B.C.
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!
Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Conducting tests and inspections of products, services or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Watching gauges, dials or other indicators to make sure that a machine is working properly.
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
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.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
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
320Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 40 | 12.5% |
| Kootenay | 0 | 0.0% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 135 | 42.2% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 10 | 3.1% |
| Northeast | 0 | 0.0% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 125 | 39.1% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 0 | 0.0% |
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 (2024-2034)
80Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 20 | 1.4% |
| Kootenay | Not available | Not available |
| Mainland/Southwest | 20 | -0.7% |
| North Coast and Nechako | Not available | Not available |
| Northeast | Not available | Not available |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 40 | 1.6% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | Not available | Not available |
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
| Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Transportation and Warehousing | 80 |
Resources
Resource information is currently not available.