Rail maintenance technician

Rail maintenance technicians execute routine inspections of railway tracks, powerlines, signage stations, switches, and other railway infrastructure. They are also sent out to repair defects quickly, safely, and at any time of the day or night.

A rail maintenance technician typically does the following duties:

• install and renew track, tunnels, embankments, cuttings, level crossings and bridges
• check sections of track are the correct distance apart and right height
• inspect tracks for defects
• report and clear potential obstacles, for example after bad weather
• survey sections of track to identify maintenance needs
• report accidents and incidents
• perform lookout and hand signalling duties during trackside operations to keep your team safe

The following job titles also refer to rail maintenance technician:

rail quality inspector
rail track inspector
track quality inspector
rail track maintenance inspector
permanent way inspector
rail inspector
rail repairer

Rail maintenance technicians work on rail tracks. Their working environment may be physically demanding and outdoors in all weathers. They often need to wear safety clothing and use safety equipment.

Rail maintenance technicians may also have to take regular drug and alcohol checks. For some roles they need a driving licence so they can drive rail company vehicles.

An associate’s degree in mechanical engineering or a related field is generally the minimum required to work as a rail maintenance technician.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Rail maintenance technician is a Skill level 3 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to rail maintenance technician.

construction quality inspector
rail construction supervisor
construction quality manager
crane crew supervisor
water conservation technician supervisor

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of rail maintenance technician. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of rail maintenance technician with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

construction general contractor
installation engineer
rail operations manager
mine ventilation engineer
mask maker

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of rail maintenance technician.

• Characteristics of wheel rail interface: Thoroughly understand the forces of physics involved in the interaction between the wheels and the rail, possible rail defects, maintenance practices, and cost implications.
• Sensors: Sensors are transducers that can detect or sense characteristics in their environment. They detect changes in the apparatus or environment and provide a corresponding optical or electrical signal. Sensors are commonly divided in six classes: mechanical, electronic, thermal, magnetic, electrochemical, and optical sensors.
• Mechanics of trains: Possess basic knowledge of the mechanics involved in trains, understand the technicalities and participate in discussions on related topics in order to solve problems related to the mechanics.
• Electricity: Understand the principles of electricity and electrical power circuits, as well as the associated risks.
• Mechanics: Theoretical and practical applications of the science studying the action of displacements and forces on physical bodies to the development of machinery and mechanical devices.

These skills are necessary for the role of rail maintenance technician.

• Write rail defect records: Compose documents and reports on the nature of rail defects investigated, position of defect in rail, location, etc.
• Record test data: Record data which has been identified specifically during preceding tests in order to verify that outputs of the test produce specific results or to review the reaction of the subject under exceptional or unusual input.
• Inspect construction supplies: Check construction supplies for damage, moisture, loss or other problems before using the material.
• Maintain sensor equipment: Diagnose and detect malfunctions in sensor components, systems, and products using sensors and remove, replace, or repair these components when necessary. Execute preventative equipment maintenance tasks, such as storing the components in clean, dust-free, and non-humid spaces.
• Test sensors: Test sensors using appropriate equipment. Gather and analyse data. Monitor and evaluate system performance and take action if needed.
• Follow health and safety procedures in construction: Apply the relevant health and safety procedures in construction in order to prevent accidents, pollution and other risks.
• Interpret graphical recordings of rail-flaw-detection machine: Read, analyse and interpret the graphical recordings issued by the rail-flaw-detection machine in order to detect errors or flaws in rails.
• Use safety equipment in construction: Use elements of protective clothing such as steel-tipped shoes, and gear such as protective goggles, in order to minimise risk of accidents in construction and to mitigate any injury if an accident does occur.
• Inspect railways visually: Visually check the integrity of train tracks, sleepers, and ballast. This is usually done in reaction to reports from workers or detections by sensors.
• Detect rail track malfunctions: Identify and analyse damage or malfunctions in the mechanical, pneumatic, or hydraulic equipment of rail track; determine necessary maintenance and repair work.
• Advise on railway infrastructure repairs: Formulate advice on maintenance, repair or upgrades of the inspected railroad infrastructure.
• Inspect rail from track inspection vehicle: Monitor the output from various sensors that detect flaws in a railroad track, including laser sensors which scan for discontinuities, microphone sensors, gyroscopes which detect tilt, and others.
• Monitor stationary rail sensors: Monitor a variety of sensors, such as heat sensors and wheel impact load sensors, that detect flaws in railway and train operations. Check the output from the sensors from a distance or visit the location.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of rail maintenance technician. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Modern power signalling systems: Understand traditional and modern signalling systems; operate railway signalling systems.
• Work trains: The composition and functions of a work train, a train composed of automatic machines that remove, inspect, adjust and lay railway ballast, sleepers and rails.
• Electrical systems used in transportation: Understand the functioning of electrical systems, their specifications, and application in operations and systems for the transportation of freight and people.
• Construction product regulation: Regulations on construction products quality standards applied throughout the European Union.
• Electronics principles: The study of electric energy, more specifically electron, control and its prominent principles regarding integrated circuits and electrical systems.
• Weigh in motion system: Weigh in motion systems, which measure the weight of a vehicle passing over and may send out an alarm if the vehicle is overloaded or unbalanced.
• Wheel impact load detector: The wheel impact load detector or WILD, a detector that monitors the impact of railed vehicle wheels on the tracks.
• Railway framework legislation: Know and apply railway framework legislation where requirements for railways in the EU are established. Know legislation that applies to the field of cross-border freight transit.
• Hunting truck detector: The hunting truck detector, which detects hunting of rail vehicle trucks, i.e. side-to-side movements which cause harmful impacts of the side of the wheels on the tracks.
• Hot wheel detection system: Hot wheel detection systems, which record the temperature of passing rail vehicle wheels and pass an alarm if a critical temperature is reached.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of rail maintenance technician. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Work ergonomically: Apply ergonomy principles in the organisation of the workplace while manually handling equipment and materials.
• Maintain records of maintenance interventions: Keep written records of all repairs and maintenance interventions undertaken, including information on the parts and materials used, etc.
• Test the rail-flaw-detection machine: Perform tests of the rail-flaw-detection machine using circuit testers.
• Work in a construction team: Work as part of a team in a construction project. Communicate efficiently, sharing information with team members and reporting to supervisors. Follow instructions and adapt to changes in a flexible manner.
• Liaise with rail experts: Communicate and cooperate with bridge, geotechnical, materials experts, architects, etc.
• Detect flaws in rails: Detect internal flaws in rails in order to prevent derailments.
• Keep personal administration: File and organise personal administration documents comprehensively.
• Process incoming construction supplies: Receive incoming construction supplies, handle the transaction and enter the supplies into any internal administration system.
• Keep records of work progress: Maintain records of the progress of the work including time, defects, malfunctions, etc.
• Liaise with managers: Liaise with managers of other departments ensuring effective service and communication, i.e. sales, planning, purchasing, trading, distribution and technical.
• Use tribometer: Use a tribometer to check the amount of friction that a surface provides.

3112 – Civil engineering technicians

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References

1. Rail maintenance technician – ESCO
2. Rail track maintenance worker | Explore careers – National Careers Service
3. Featured image: By Ymblanter – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,