Railroad Conductor Hiring Tests (BNSF, CSX, Union Pacific)

BNSF, CSX and Union Pacific each hire conductor trainees through their own steps: an online application, an interview and, at CSX and Union Pacific, an assessment (BNSF says one may be required). A Union Pacific Train Crew posting asks applicants to complete an assessment in English before the interview stage; results are pass or fail, and Union Pacific publishes a Train Crew sample with two sections: Workplace Practices (statements about your attitudes and work) and Adaptive Industrial Reading (short job-like passages, one question each). CSX says its hiring process involves interviews and pre-employment testing, and lists verbal comprehension, communication and reasoning as basic competencies; BNSF says an initial assessment may be required. Before a railroad certifies a conductor under the Federal Railroad Administration rule 49 CFR Part 242, it must determine, through a knowledge test, that the person knows its rules and practices; the test covers safety and operating rules, timetable instructions, federal regulations, the physical characteristics of the territory and the use of any job aid the railroad provides, without open reference books or other materials except where their use is tested. Check the hiring pages of the railroad you apply to for its current steps.