Install, inspect, test, maintain, or repair electric gate crossings, signals, signal equipment, track switches, section lines, or intercommunications systems within a railroad system.
U.S. Workers
8,210
Median Salary
$83,600
10-Year Growth
+1.7%
Annual Openings
800
Typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
13 of 13 tasks have some AI capability
Exposure Trend
This score reflects estimated AI technical capability for tasks in this occupation. It does not predict employment changes, and it does not account for company-specific constraints, regulation, or adoption barriers.
Record and report information about mileage or track inspected, repairs performed, and equipment requiring replacement.
AI: Fully automatable - Recording and reporting mileage, inspections, repairs, and replacement needs can be fully automated using GPS, sensors, maintenance software, and AI summarization workflows.
Install, inspect, maintain, and repair various railroad service equipment on the road or in the shop, including railroad signal systems.
AI: Partial - Railroad signal inspection and diagnostics have strong automation and remote monitoring support, but field installation and complex repairs continue to require skilled technicians.
Inspect and test operation, mechanical parts, and circuitry of gate crossings, signals, and signal equipment such as interlocks and hotbox detectors.
AI: Partial - AI systems can perform remote diagnostics and analyze sensor/camera data to flag mechanical or circuitry faults but cannot fully replace hands‑on physical inspection and repair tasks in the field as of 2025.
Inspect switch-controlling mechanisms on trolley wires and in track beds, using hand tools and test equipment.
AI: Partial - AI can assist with fault detection, predictive alerts, and guidance for inspecting switch mechanisms, but the physical use of hand tools and access in track beds remains a human task in most real‑world settings.
Drive motor vehicles to job sites.
AI: Partial - Autonomous driving technology can handle many driving tasks on public roads, yet legal, safety, and site‑specific complexities mean humans are still typically required to drive to varied job sites in 2025.
Tighten loose bolts, using wrenches, and test circuits and connections by opening and closing gates.
AI: Partial - AI and automated torque tools can assist and verify circuit behavior, but physically tightening bolts and performing gate manipulations are still primarily manual operations outside tightly controlled environments.
Inspect electrical units of railroad grade crossing gates and repair loose bolts and defective electrical connections and parts.
AI: Partial - AI can monitor electrical units and diagnose loose connections remotely, yet actual repair of loose bolts and defective electrical parts generally requires human technicians or specialized, uncommon robots.
Maintain high tension lines, de-energizing lines for power companies when repairs are requested.
AI: Partial - AI systems can assist with monitoring, coordination, and remote guidance for de-energizing high‑tension lines, but full autonomous execution and safety-critical live-line work remain largely human-controlled as of 2025.
Replace defective wiring, broken lenses, or burned-out light bulbs.
AI: Partial - AI can identify defective wiring, lenses, and bulbs and guide technicians or robots, but routine physical replacement tasks remain mostly manual in current deployments.
Inspect, maintain, and replace batteries as needed.
AI: Partial - Battery monitoring and maintenance scheduling can be automated, but physical inspection and replacement of batteries at field locations typically still require human intervention.
Lubricate moving parts on gate-crossing mechanisms and swinging signals.
AI: Partial - AI can schedule lubrication and detect when lubrication is needed via sensors or models, but the hands‑on application of lubricants to varied mechanisms is still generally performed by people.
Test air lines and air cylinders on pneumatically operated gates.
AI: Partial - Automated diagnostic tools and AI can run and interpret pneumatic tests, but in-field connection, troubleshooting of atypical failures, and physical manipulations still usually require human technicians.
Clean lenses of lamps with cloths and solvents.
AI: Partial - Computer vision can detect dirty lenses and prompt cleaning, but the physical cleaning with cloths and solvents is a manual task in routine field work today.