Will rail yard engineers be replaced by AI?
Updated
Rail yard engineers score 19 of 100 for AI exposure. 78% of their task time still needs a person. AI can do 7% today and speed up another 15%.
- 7% AI can do it
- 15% AI helps
- 78% Needs a person
Low exposure
Lower than 82% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 23 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 2 of them today, speeds up 3 and leaves 18 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Record numbers of cars available, numbers of cars sent to repair stations, and types of service needed. Counting and logging car status is routine data work. | 70% AI can do it |
| Report arrival and departure times, train delays, work order completion, and time on duty. Logging times and delays is structured data entry, easily automated. | 65% AI can do it |
| Read switching instructions and daily car schedules to determine work to be performed, or receive orders from yard conductors. AI could summarize schedules and extract switching orders for review. | 40% AI helps |
| Receive, relay, and act upon instructions and inquiries from train operations and customer service center personnel. AI could track messages; live instructions still need people. | 35% AI helps |
| Confer with conductors and other workers via radiotelephones or computers to exchange switching information. AI could log or summarize radio switching exchanges. | 30% AI helps |
| Signal crew members for movement of engines or trains, using lanterns, hand signals, radios, or telephones. Lantern and hand signals need a person in the yard. | 12% Needs a person |
| Observe water levels and oil, air, and steam pressure gauges to ensure proper operation of equipment. Gauge checks are mostly physical, though sensors may assist. | 12% Needs a person |
| Observe and respond to wayside and cab signals, including color light signals, position signals, torpedoes, flags, and hot box detectors. Requires live visual observation of signals from the cab. | 10% Needs a person |
| Inspect engines before and after use to ensure proper operation. Physical engine walk-around checks need hands-on inspection. | 8% Needs a person |
| Inspect track for defects such as broken rails and switch malfunctions. Walking track to spot broken rails needs physical inspection. | 8% Needs a person |
Show the other 13 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Inspect the condition of stationary trains, rolling stock, and equipment. Visual inspection of rolling stock is physical and hands-on. | 6% Needs a person |
| Drive engines within railroad yards or other establishments to couple, uncouple, or switch railroad cars. Driving switcher engines in yards is hands-on operation. | 5% Needs a person |
| Spot cars for loading and unloading at customer locations. Spotting cars at customer sites needs physical operation and judgment. | 5% Needs a person |
| Perform routine repair and maintenance duties. Repairs require hands-on mechanical work on equipment. | 5% Needs a person |
| Drive locomotives to and from various stations in roundhouses to have locomotives cleaned, serviced, repaired, or supplied. Driving locomotives to service spots is physical operation. | 5% Needs a person |
| Operate track switches, derails, automatic switches, and retarders to change routing of train or cars. Throwing switches and derails is manual field work. | 4% Needs a person |
| Operate flatcars equipped with derricks or railcars to transport personnel or equipment. Operating derrick flatcars is physical equipment operation. | 4% Needs a person |
| Apply and release hand brakes. Setting hand brakes is manual, physical work on cars. | 3% Needs a person |
| Couple and uncouple air hoses and electrical connections between cars. Coupling air hoses and cables is manual physical work. | 2% Needs a person |
| Pull knuckles to open them for coupling. Pulling knuckles is manual physical work on couplers. | 2% Needs a person |
| Provide assistance in aligning drawbars, using available equipment to lift, pull, or push on the drawbars. Aligning drawbars requires physical force and positioning. | 2% Needs a person |
| Provide assistance in the installation or repair of rails and ties. Rail and tie work is manual construction labor. | 2% Needs a person |
| Ride on moving cars by holding onto grab irons and standing on ladder steps. Riding moving cars is a physical safety-critical activity. | 1% Needs a person |
How rail yard engineers compare
All occupations (923)
Transportation and material moving (52)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $60,600 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 3,920 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- +0.8% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Give hand and lantern signals to yard crews
- Couple air hoses and cables between cars safely
- Apply and release hand brakes on railcars
- Check car status in RailComm DocYard daily
- Keep FRA locomotive engineer certification under 49 CFR Part 240
Safer roles nearby
5 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about rail yard engineers and AI
Will AI replace rail yard engineers?
Partly. About 1 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly logging car counts and reporting arrival times and delays. Coupling, hand signals, and moving cars stay with people because they need a person on the ground in the yard.
Which rail yard engineer tasks is AI taking over?
Logging car availability, repair station sends, and service types scores 70 on exposure, because counting and recording car status is routine data work. Reporting arrival and departure times, delays, and time on duty scores 65, since it is structured data entry that Railyard management software RMS can fill in automatically.
Which rail yard engineer tasks stay with people?
Riding moving cars scores 1 on exposure, and coupling air hoses scores 2, because both are physical, safety-critical work on the ground. Applying hand brakes scores 3 for the same reason, since setting brakes on cars takes a person's hands and judgment at the car.
How can rail yard engineers stay valuable as AI takes over logging?
Spend more time on signaling and coupling, which score 12 and 2 on exposure, and keep those skills sharp. Learn Softrail AEI Automatic Yard Tracking System so you can check the car data it produces. Keep Positive train control PTC systems skills current for line-of-road moves, and keep your FRA certification up to date.
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