Freight Train Driver
What the work is
Drives a train to transport freight on railways.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Inspects locomotives and rolling stock before, during and after journeys
- Operates and monitors controls to regulate speed, direction and braking, and track fuel consumption
- Ensures livestock freight are safe and in good physical condition
- Communicates with control centres and other train crew using radios and signals
- Manages the loading and unloading of freight
- Performs minor repairs and maintenance tasks on-track if necessary
- Couples and uncouples wagons using manual tools
- Keeps records of journeys, delays and any incidents that occur
- Follows timetables and schedules to ensure on-time delivery of freight
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a tram depot and the city routes that run out from it, in a fictional river city. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A packed tram pulls in right on time and everyone steps off without a fuss
- A nervous first-time rider thanks you for waiting while they found their stop
- A clear, quiet night run when the signals, the track and the timetable all line up
Hard days
- A stretch of route where cars keep stopping on the tracks and you cannot swerve
- Early starts and split shifts that leave you running on very little sleep
- Passengers upset about a delay that is not your doing, and you are the face of it
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 711331, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.