Jersey City, NJ Train Conductor

Norfolk Southern Corp. • Jersey City, NJ

81d • Onsite

About The Position

Norfolk Southern is hiring a Train Conductor to support the safe and efficient movement of freight trains. Conductors build trains by coupling railcars, deliver railcars to customers, transport trains over long distances, and manage electronic documentation and inspections. They are trained to troubleshoot train issues, report incidents, and follow safety procedures. No prior railroad experience is required; the company provides training.

This is a seniority-based position. New conductors begin on the extra board, filling in where needed, until they have enough seniority to bid on a regular assignment. The role requires 24/7 on-call availability, including the ability to report with as little as 90 minutes’ notice, and typically involves spending two to three days away from home each week. Employees must join a union within 60 days after completing training.

Training lasts approximately 20 weeks and may take longer depending on the assigned location. It includes classroom instruction, field training, and on-the-job experience. The first five weeks are held at Norfolk Southern’s Training Center in McDonough, Georgia; the company provides hotel accommodations, weekly meal stipends, and travel reimbursement from the hire location. The remaining training is completed at the assigned location. Successful completion requires passing classroom, field, and on-the-job requirements, including written exams and field evaluations in physical characteristics, operating rules, safety, hazardous materials, and signal rules.

The work is performed outdoors in all weather conditions, with irregular schedules that may include nights, weekends, and holidays. It is safety-sensitive and requires constant alertness around heavy, moving, potentially hazardous locomotive engines. Conductors must meet physical and FRA medical standards, including lifting and carrying up to 85 pounds, walking several miles per shift on uneven terrain, and passing specified vision, color vision, hearing, and physical tests.

Requirements

• Must be at least 18 years old.
• Must hold a valid driver’s license and have reliable transportation.
• Must be able to report to work within 90 minutes and remain available on call 24/7.
• Must have a clean driving record for the past 36 months, without a suspension, revocation, cancellation, or denial of a driver’s license resulting from a drug- or alcohol-related incident.
• Must not have been involved in diversion or probation or pleaded guilty to a drug- or alcohol-related driving incident.
• Must not have refused a drug or alcohol test related to operating a motor vehicle.
• Must pass pre-employment FRA drug and alcohol screening.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States.
• Must join a union within 60 days after completing training.
• Must pass all classroom, field, and on-the-job training requirements, including written exams and field evaluations.
• Must be able to lift and carry up to 85 pounds and walk several miles per shift on uneven terrain.
• Must pass required physical standards, including hanging from a railcar ladder with three points of contact for 1 minute and 15 seconds per side.
• Must meet FRA medical requirements, including visual acuity of at least 20/40 in each eye separately and both together, with or without corrective lenses; pass FRA color vision tests without lenses used to improve color vision; and meet hearing standards of no more than 40 dB average hearing loss at 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz in the better ear, which may be met with a hearing aid.
• Must be available for irregular schedules, including on-call work, nights, weekends, and holidays, and expect to spend two to three days away from home weekly.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working outdoors in various weather conditions.
• Experience with heavy equipment or in physically demanding roles.
• Experience working non-traditional shifts, on call, and/or 12-hour-plus shifts.

Responsibilities

• Build and inspect trains, railcars, and equipment for safe operation.
• Operate remote control locomotives and perform tasks such as coupling, aligning drawbars, applying hand brakes, and riding railcars.
• Communicate effectively with crews, dispatchers, and yard controllers.
• Maintain accurate documentation and comply with FRA and company safety regulations.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.
• Troubleshoot train issues and report incidents.
• Complete required training, written exams, and field evaluations.

Benefits

• Medical insurance for employees and eligible dependents beginning in the second calendar month of employment.
• Dental insurance eligibility after one year.
• Life insurance eligibility after one year.
• 401(k) eligibility after one year.
• Railroad Retirement benefits and taxes.
• Vacation eligibility: two weeks after two or more years of service, three weeks after six or more years, four weeks after 15 or more years, and five weeks after 23 years.
• Hotel accommodations, weekly meal stipends, and travel reimbursement during the first five weeks of training.
• Conductor trainees earn a minimum of $240 per shift during on-the-job training, with overtime at $30 per hour.
• First-year conductors average $70,000 annually; experienced conductors average $84,000 annually. Locomotive engineers earn a guaranteed minimum of $94,000, with potential to exceed $100,000.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed