NOC 73311: Railway conductors and brakemen/women

Railway conductors coordinate and supervise the activities of passenger and freight train crew members. Brakemen check train brakes and other systems and equipment prior to train run, and assist railway conductors in activities en route. They are employed by railway transport companies.

Express Entry eligibility

• Skilled work (TEER 0 to 3): yes, TEER 3.
• Canadian Experience Class: counts as skilled Canadian work (1 year in the last 3 years).
• Federal Skilled Worker Program: counts as skilled work (1 year of continuous work in the last 10 years).
• Federal Skilled Trades Program: an eligible skilled trade (2 years in the last 5 years).
• High-wage occupation (from November 3, 2026): yes, 1.3× tier.

TEER 3: Occupations that usually need a college diploma, an apprenticeship of less than 2 years, or more than 6 months of on-the-job training. Every program has other requirements too, such as language test results and, for FSW, a points test.

Category-based draws

NOC 73311 is not on any of IRCC’s occupation category lists. You can still be invited in general, Canadian Experience Class or other program draws.

Category lists checked on canada.ca on 2026-10-17. IRCC category-based selection

CRS points for work in NOC 73311

With 12+ months of Canadian work here, from November 3, 2026, by years of skilled Canadian work:

See Canadian work points and the median-wage rule.

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

• Railway conductors
• Supervise and coordinate the activities of passenger and freight train crew members (except locomotive engineers) to ensure train operations are in accordance with schedule, train orders and code of operating rules
• Receive train orders and explain orders to brakemen/women, locomotive engineer and other crew members
• Communicate with train crew members by radio, signals or by other means to give and receive train operation information
• Collect fares on board passenger trains, announce approaching train stops and answer passenger enquiries
• Prepare train run reports.
• Brakemen/women
• Check train systems and equipment such as air conditioning and heating systems, brakes and brake hoses prior to train run
• Communicate with train crew members by radio, signals or by other means to aid in the movement and operation of train
• Receive orders from traffic controllers, observe signals and track conditions and open and close track switches
• Set and release hand brakes and connect air brake hoses to couple and switch passenger or freight cars, making minor repairs to couplings, air hoses and wheel-bearing boxes as required
• Assist in collecting fares and helping passengers on and off train.

For Express Entry your duties must match the lead statement and most of the main duties above.

Example job titles

• brakeman/woman
• conductor - switching yard
• freight train conductor
• front-end brakeman/woman
• passenger train conductor
• railway conductor
• road freight brakeman/woman
• tail-end brakeman/woman

Employment requirements

• Completion of secondary school is usually required.
• Experience as a brakeman/woman is required for conductors.
• Experience as a railway worker is usually required for brakemen/women.
• Railway conductors require a Canadian Rail Operating Rules certificate.
• Brakemen/women require a Canadian Rail Operating Rules certificate.

Similar jobs with a different code

• 73310Railway and yard locomotive engineers
• 72023Supervisors, railway transport operations