Yardmaster

What yardmasters do

Yardmasters orchestrate every move inside a rail classification yard, deciding which cars are placed onto which outbound trains, when crews swap, and how engines are routed. They communicate constantly with switch crews, dispatchers, and locomotive engineers.

Training path

Most yardmasters promote from positions as switchmen, conductors, or train dispatchers after several years on the ground. Federal Railroad Administration regulations require certification and ongoing testing on the operating rules of the employing railroad.

Work setting

Class I railroads such as Union Pacific, BNSF, CSX, and Norfolk Southern operate yards around the clock, so yardmasters work shifting schedules including nights, weekends, and holidays. Larger yards have multiple towers, each controlling a section.