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Virginia Railroad Jobs

Since railroads began hauling coal from the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky, West Virginia, western Virginia, and eastern Ohio more than 100 years ago, the Old Dominion State has been an important outlet for this freight with its major port cities of Norfolk/Hampton/Newport News. If you are interested in Virginia railroad jobs you will most likely take a position with a Class I system (either CSX Transportation or Norfolk Southern) as they operate nearly 90% of the state's trackage today. Aside from the large railroads Virginia is home to just a handful of Class III, shortlines. Today, coal still derives Virginia's largest amount of originated freight tonnage (nearly 65%) while a handful of other traffic makes up the rest. To learn more about Virginia's current railroad network please click here.

Working for a Class I railroad means that there are several different fields you can enter from various in-the-field management and office positions to the more "blue-collar" jobs which include about any trade you are interested in (i.e., mechanics, welders, track maintainers, train operators, etc.). If you are interested in the more well known and heralded field of transportation (which means being a conductor or engineer) please understand that the job can be overwhelming at times as one is required to be on call virtually 24/7. While federal law mandates workers be allowed 8 hours off for every 12-hour shift don't expect to receive much other downtime. Working such long hours and sometimes sleeping in hotels means you must also cope with being away from home and family regularly. As such, the job isn't for everyone. However, the pay Class Is provide is nothing short of excellent and they also offer wonderful retirement and benefits.

In any event, for more information regarding Virginia railroad jobs, please visit the links below or the railroad's individual contact information concerning possible openings. On a related note, if you are attending college and want, or need, an summer internship in the business field check out the career pages of the Class Is listed here (or all seven of them), as many offer these programs. Finally, I cannot fully guarantee the accuracy of the information listed below although it is updated to the best of my knowledge. Lastly, to search for Virginia railroad jobs directly please use the below search box from Indeed.com.

Class I Railroads

Amtrak

CSX Transportation

Norfolk Southern Railway

Shortline, Class III Railroads

Bay Coast Railroad: This shortline operates between Pocomoke City, Maryland, and Norfolk, Virginia on about 96 miles of track (formerly owned by the Eastern Shore Railroad). The railroad also serves carfloat operations across the Chesapeake Bay. For contact information please click here.

Buckingham Branch Railroad: The Buckingham Branch Railroad dates back to 1989 and is a large shortline operating over 200 miles once owned by the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway. It currently connects Richmond with Clifton Forge and owns two unconnected sections of line east and south of Richmond. To contact them about job openings please visit their website.

Chesapeake & Albemarle Railroad: The C&A is a RailAmerica shortline operating the original Norfolk Southern's main line between Edenton, North Carolina and Chesapeake, Virginia. Overall the railroad owns over 60 miles of track. To contact them concerning employment please click here.

Commonwealth Railway: This 19-mile shortline is owned by Genesee & Wyoming and connects Norfolk with Suffolk. It began operations in 1996. To contact them please click here.

Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad (Operates the Shenandoah Valley Railroad): The Shenandoah Valley Railroad began operations in 1993 on original Baltimore & Ohio trackage between Pleasant Valley (near Harrisonburg) and Staunton (it was purchased from Norfolk Southern). To contact the railroad please click here.

Norfolk & Portsmouth Belt Line Railroad: This terminal railroad dates back to 1898 and is jointly owned by NS and CSX. It currently serves the port needs of Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Chesapeake. For contact information please visit their website.

North Carolina & Virginia Railroad: The NC&V is another RailAmerica shortline operating 135 miles of track mostly in northeastern North Carolina but also reaching Boykins, Virginia. For contact information please click here.

Virginia Southern Railroad: This 75-mile shortline is a subsidiary of the North Carolina & Virginia operating between Oxford, North Carolina and Burkeville, Virginia. Please contact the NC&V for employment inquiries.

Winchester & Western Railroad: The W&W dates back to the early 20th century and today it operates between Gore, Virginia (near Winchester) and Hagerstown, Maryland. To contact the railroad; P. O. Box 264, Winchester, Virginia 22604. Phone 540-662-2600.

Commuter and Light Rail Transit

I am not sure how the VRE operate its railroad whether with its own employees or outside contractors. However, they may be contacted through their website listed below:

Virginia Railway Express

For more information about shortline railroads that serve Virginia please click here to visit the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association's website.

Please Click Here To Return To The Main Railroad Jobs Section

Finally, if a career in railroading is right for you but you would like to learn more about what it takes to work in the industry you might want to consider the book Working on the Railroad from noted author Brian Solomon. Solomon's book details the history of working in the railroad industry and the difficulties and hardship employees faced back then as well as today. After reading this book you should have no doubts about whether working in the industry is something you are truly interested in. In any event, if you're interested in perhaps purchasing this book please visit the link below which will take you to ordering information through Amazon.com, the trusted online shopping network.

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Have your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below. Please note that while I strive to present the information as accurately as possible I am aware that there may be errors. If you have potential corrections the help is greatly appreciated.