Railway yard and track maintenance workers
Occupation · NOC 2021 74200 · Canada
- NOC 2021 code
- 74200
- TEER
- 4
- Positions on positive LMIAs, all lists
- 6
- Median wage, Canada
- C$36.00 per hour
- Job Bank postings, Jan–Sep 2026
- 18
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About this occupation
Railway yard workers regulate yard traffic, couple and uncouple trains and perform related yard activities. Railway track maintenance workers operate machines and equipment to lay, maintain and repair railway tracks. They are employed by railway transport companies.
Example job titles
- ballast regulator operator - railway
- car controller - railway
- control tower operator - railway
- machine operator - railway
- rail saw operator
- railway equipment operator
- railway track patroller
- railway trackman/woman
- section worker - railway
- signal tower operator - railway
- spike machine operator - railway
- switch tender - railway yard
- tie tamper operator - railway
- towerman/woman - railway transport
- yard coupler - railway
- yard worker - railway
Main duties
- This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Railway yard workers
- Operate control panel switches from railway yard tower to set traffic signals and to activate train switches that regulate railway traffic in railway yards
- Operate car retarders, turntables and track switches to align locomotives and cars as required for coupling, uncoupling or servicing
- Switch cars according to instructions which indicate the location, disposition and number of cars
- Lubricate moving parts of railway cars and locomotives.
- Railway track maintenance workers
- Operate machines and equipment such as sleeper sliders, anchors, rail lifters, drag drills, drag diggers, rail saws and tie-bar cranes to lay, maintain, repair, and align railway tracks, to transfer, spread, level and tamp ballast around ties and rails and to clear snow from tracks
- Clean and make minor repairs to machines and equipment
- Patrol assigned track sections to identify and report damaged or broken track
Employment requirements
- Some secondary school education is usually required.
- Experience as a railway labourer is required.
- On-the-job training is provided.
- Railway yard workers require a Canadian Rail Operating Rules certificate.
Temporary foreign worker positions (LMIA)
Positions on positive LMIAs in ESDC employer lists, by year of the list.
Approved positions by year
Data table
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 |
- Pacific and Arctic Railways and Navigation Company5
- Rail Cantech1
Work permits
Work permit holders by year the permit took effect, mapped from NOC 2016 where the code has a single NOC 2021 successor (IRCC).
| Year | TFWP permits | IMP permits |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0 | 15 |
| 2025 | 0 | 15 |
| 2024 | 0 | 25 |
| 2023 | 0 | 10 |
| 2022 | 0 | 5 |
| 2021 | 0 | 5 |
| 2020 | 0 | 20 |
| 2019 | 0 | 45 |
| 2018 | 0 | 35 |
| 2017 | 0 | 50 |
| 2016 | 0 | 15 |
| 2015 | 0 | 40 |
All work permits by year
Data table
| 2015 | 40 |
| 2016 | 15 |
| 2017 | 50 |
| 2018 | 35 |
| 2019 | 45 |
| 2020 | 20 |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 10 |
| 2024 | 25 |
| 2025 | 15 |
| 2026 | 15 |
Wages
Median wage by province and territory (2025 release). Hourly unless marked per year.
| Area | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | C$26.00 | C$36.00 | C$42.00 |
| Alberta | C$26.82 | C$35.64 | C$45.52 |
| British Columbia | C$25.00 | C$33.00 | C$43.00 |
| Manitoba | C$23.90 | C$35.00 | C$41.00 |
| New Brunswick | C$27.88 | C$34.00 | C$42.00 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | C$29.27 | C$40.57 | C$50.98 |
| Nova Scotia | C$20.61 | C$28.35 | C$41.07 |
| Ontario | C$28.85 | C$37.00 | C$40.00 |
| Quebec | C$33.30 | C$38.50 | C$40.00 |
| Saskatchewan | C$26.52 | C$34.19 | C$44.41 |
- Job Bank postings, Jan–Sep 2026
- 18
- Vacancies advertised
- 20
- Median advertised minimum hourly wage
- C$27.00
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