AustralianCourses
Career pathway

Railway Track Workers

ANZSCO 8216

Employed

5,600

Part-time share

8%

Female share

7%

Median age

38 yrs

Employment outlook

Declining

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia · ABS 2021 Census of Population and Housing.

Salary and some workforce figures are suppressed for this occupation because Jobs and Skills Australia / the ABS do not publish estimates for small populations (typically fewer than 50 employed people) or because the figures have been perturbed for privacy. They are shown as unavailable rather than zero.

About this career

Railway Track Workers lay and repair tracks for railways, tramways, quarries and mines, and install and repair signals and other equipment.

What they typically do

  • Spreading and tamping ballast to provide firm foundation for sleepers
  • Cutting rails to length and grinding worn and rough rail ends
  • Placing sleepers across roadbeds, and positioning and fastening rails on sleepers
  • Drilling bolt holes, and bolting and welding rail sections
  • Removing and replacing worn and damaged rails, sleepers and switches
  • Cleaning and lubricating switches
  • Examining track, lubricating wheel bearings on rolling stock and maintaining switch signal lamps
  • Installing and repairing signals and other equipment
  • May assist with the righting of derailed rolling stock

States and territories

Share of workers by location

NSW
33.9%
VIC
24.8%
QLD
18.1%
WA
12.3%
SA
5.5%
NT
1.9%
ACT
1.8%
TAS
1.8%

Qualification pathways

These accredited qualifications can lead to a career as a Railway Track Workers.