Day in the life of a conductor

CP has played a vital role in connecting our country our economy and our communities since 1885 and it's a testament to our employees that we continue to make the railroad safer more efficient and reliable train conductors don't just oversee railroad movements they make a difference when someone buys their first car or opens up a special gift it's likely been shipped by rail with the help of a train conductor train conductors are responsible for the safety and movement of the train as a train conductor you will be communicating with the rail traffic controllers ensuring the train stays on schedule supervising the train crew coordinating switching and facilitating loading and unloading of trains they also work in the yard building trains switching cars and other various duties the train conductor role is physical in nature as you have to walk on uneven ground couple air hoses while bent over hang on to rail cars and pull switches in all types of weather on arriving for duty train conductors review their paperwork and shift activities they ensure that the train has the proper authorization and documentation to be on the track the train conductor will brief the rest of the crew on the Authority's documentation safety hazards and work to be performed on that tour of duty they will then ensure that the physical inspection of the train has been performed and the crew will begin its work assignment for the day like any job there are benefits and challenges to consider train conductors make a good salary work outdoors and have great benefits such as health dental and a pension plan CP even pays you while you're being trained CP is an Operations driven company many CP executives at the highest level have started their career working in the rail yard all you need is a high school diploma to be eligible to apply the train conductor position is well suited someone who enjoys a varied job working as part of a team likes working outdoors and the freedom to do your job with minimal supervision a train conductors role is based on seniority and you will be on call day or night train conductors and locomotive engineers have a two-hour call window to get to work on any and day evening weekend and/or a major holiday this can make it very difficult to predict when you will be working train conductors must have a flexible schedule and should expect to be away from home for 24 hours or more at any given time working in difficult weather conditions such as heat cold snow or heavy rain can also make the job challenging at CP we take safety very seriously and as such we ensure every employee has the proper training for their position duties such as climbing onto a moving train holding on to the side of a moving car applying hand brakes or attaching air hoses to a park train all require proper technique and awareness the train conductor training program is between 2 to 6 months long with time in class as well as on-site work experience at intervals during the program there are plenty of opportunities for career advancement at CP and a train conductor job is no exception from a junior position you gain seniority in the job and shifts become more regular from here you can enter the locomotive engineer training program and eventually become a locomotive engineer as a train conductor or a locomotive engineer you can advance to a management role such as an Operations Manager or Road Foreman which can open up a number of possibilities in many different departments choosing your career path is an important decision and we make sure the job fits your skills and goals before applying for a train conductor position you should seriously consider the hours and the work conditions it can be a hard and demanding job but a rewarding one to to apply for a position with CP visit cpr dot CA

Channel: CPKC

Views: 245,169

Keywords: CP, CP Rail, Canadian Pacific, Conductor, Railway, Engineer

Id: jP0IHWrZGHw

Length: 3min 55sec (235 seconds)

Published: Tue Apr 12 2016