Rail switchperson
Also known as: railway pointsman, rail pointswoman, railway switchman, rail switchman, rail switchwoman, rail pointsman
About this occupation
Rail switchpersons assist in the tasks of the traffic controller. They operate switches and signals according to rail traffic control instructions, according to regulations and compliant with safety rules.
Essential skills and knowledge
- apply signalling control procedures
- cooperate with colleagues
- keep task records
- shunt outbound loads
- use waterway traffic control systems
- operate switching locomotives
- use rigging tools
- shunt inbound loads
- signal box parts
- use handbrake
- shunt rolling stock in marshalling yards
- ensure compliance with railway regulation
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators (O*NET 47-4061.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- Repair or adjust track switches, using wrenches and replacement parts.
- Patrol assigned track sections so that damaged or broken track can be located and reported.
- Engage mechanisms that lay tracks or rails to specified gauges.
- Cut rails to specified lengths, using rail saws.
- Operate single- or multiple-head spike driving machines to drive spikes into ties and secure rails.
- Operate track wrenches to tighten or loosen bolts at joints that hold ends of rails together.
- Preparation
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Interests
- Realistic, Conventional, Investigative
Top skills: Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Equipment Maintenance, Repairing, Active Listening, Monitoring
US median pay: US$70,070 a year (2025), 19,580 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Subjects this work relies on
How important each subject's knowledge is in the job itself, rated by people doing it (1 to 5).
- MetalworkO*NET: MechanicalVery important (3.7)
- Mathematics or StatisticsO*NET: MathematicsVery important (3.5)
- WoodworkO*NET: Building and ConstructionImportant (3.5)
- English or Literature in EnglishO*NET: English LanguageImportant (3.3)
- Business Studies or EntrepreneurshipO*NET: Administration and ManagementImportant (3.2)
- PhysicsO*NET: PhysicsImportant (3.0)
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Preparation needed
Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Related occupations
Occupations O*NET links to this one by similar work, skills and knowledge.
- Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
- Millwrights
- Pile Driver Operators
- Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining
- Rail Car Repairers
- Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines
- Construction Laborers
- Hoist and Winch Operators
- Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.