Working Conditions for Rail transportation occupationsMany rail transportation employees work nights, weekends, and holidays because trains operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Many work more than a 40-hour workweek. Seniority usually dictates who receives the more desirable shifts. Most freight trains are unscheduled, and few workers on these trains have scheduled assignments. Instead, workers place their names on a list and wait for their turn to work. Jobs usually are assigned on short notice and often at odd hours. Those who work on trains operating between points hundreds of miles apart may spend several nights at a time away from home. Workers on passenger trains ordinarily have regular and reliable shifts. Also, the appearance, temperature, and accommodations of passenger trains are more comfortable than those of freight trains. Rail yard workers spend most of their time outdoors in varying weather. The work of conductors and engineers on local runs, on which trains frequently stop at stations to pick up and deliver cars, is physically demanding. Climbing up and down and getting off moving cars is strenuous and can be dangerous. More information on Rail transportation occupations from The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook Overview of Rail transportation occupations occupation Number of Rail transportation occupations in the U.S. Salary and earnings for Rail transportation occupations Working conditions for Rail transportation occupations Significant points for Rail transportation occupations Training requirements for Rail transportation occupations Labor Information Home | Occupational data by city | Search Rainforests | Madagascar | What's new |