Norfolk Southern plans to hire 45 to 65 more conductors in the Harrisburg area this year, which includes their operations at the Enola Yard, the Harrisburg Intermodal Facility, and the Rutherford Intermodal facility. The company is hiring 1,800 conductors across their 22-state system. They are needed to handle an increasing amount of freight moving by rail according to the company. Freight rail volumes are at their highest levels in more than a decade.
Norfolk Southern employs more than 800 people in the Harrisburg area, making it one of the company’s largest operations centers.
Norfolk Southern sent out the following information about the hiring and information on conductors:
Hiring
- Between June and the first half of 2019, we plan to hire 45-65 conductors at Harrisburg Consolidated Terminals, which includes yard operations in Enola, Harrisburg, and Rutherford.
- In 2018, we plan to hire 1,800 conductors across our 22-state rail network.
What does a conductor do?
- The conductor is in charge of the safe operation of the train, freight, and crew.
- The conductor travels with the train. The engineer operates the locomotive.
- Work schedule: You won’t work a standard 40-hour week. Train crews are always on-call, even on weekends and holidays. You work outdoors in all weather conditions.
- Substantial travel may be involved, and you might spend a day or more per week away from your home terminal.
Training
- You don’t need any previous railroad experience; we provide all the necessary training.
- As a trainee, conductors attend our “railroad university,” outside Atlanta for three weeks. Following completion of the training, you return to Harrisburg for more classroom and field training.
Applicants
- Must be at least 18, willing and able to perform the job’s physical requirements – tasks requiring bending, climbing, kneeling, and lifting – and live within a 90-minute drive from the terminal.
- Apply online for conductor openings in Harrisburg: https://jobs.nscorp.com/job/Harrisburg-Conductor-HarrisburgLancaster%2C-PA-PA-17110/467906500
- See video of conductor on the job: https://jobs.nscorp.com/go/Conductor/2685600/
Benefits
- Paid training.
- Guaranteed annual minimum salary of around $47,000 a year.
- Most conductors make significantly more than the minimum based on seniority and location ($55,000-$75,000.)
- Conductors can be promoted to locomotive engineers, with the potential to make more than $100,000 depending on seniority and location.
- Medical, prescription, vision, and dental insurance provided.
Norfolk Southern in Harrisburg
- Harrisburg Consolidated Terminals is one of our major operations centers. The location serves as a strategic gateway for intermodal traffic (containers that move freight such as electronics, appliances, clothes, and other consumer goods) and is a key regional connection point for general merchandise freight, including commodities such as metals, chemicals, agriculture, and paper products.
- Enola Yard handles a mix of general merchandise freight. Each day, the yard sorts around 750 rail cars by destination to build nine outbound trains. The yard connects to locations that include Allentown, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Hagerstown, and Buffalo.
- Harrisburg and Rutherford handle intermodal traffic, with trains traveling east, west, and south to locations that include Chicago, Atlanta, Northern New Jersey, and St. Louis.
- Approximately 90 trains operate through the Harrisburg area daily.
- More than 800 NS employees – including about 360 train and engine personnel – are based in the Harrisburg area, making it one of our largest employment centers.
Source: Norfolk Southern Corporation
