Education · 1 of 5

The path

You do not apply to be an engineer. You get hired into train service and promoted.

1. 1

   High school diploma

   Grade 12

   That is the formal education requirement. What matters more is a clean driving record, no drug history, and being able to pass a physical.

2. 2

   Hire on as a conductor or switchman

   Months of applying

   Apply directly to a freight railroad, a passenger railroad or a short line. Expect aptitude testing, panel interviews, a physical, a drug screen and a criminal background check.

3. 3

   Work train service

   2 to 5 years

   Learn the territory, the rulebook and the equipment while working real trains on an unpredictable schedule. This is the stage most people quit at.

4. 4

   Engineer training

   About 6 months

   The railroad selects you, then puts you through classroom work, simulator time and supervised operating hours with a designated supervisor of locomotive engineers.

5. 5

   Get certified

   At the end of training

   Pass a knowledge test and a skills ride. The railroad issues your certificate under a program the Federal Railroad Administration has approved.