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Washington Railroad Jobs

Today, Washington state remains an important artery for railroads with the busy Port of Seattle importing a great deal of our country's goods from Asia. However, historically the state has held a much greater role for the industry as it once was home to nearly twice the amount of rails and a major, Class I railroad that no longer exists. If you are interested in Washington railroad jobs the state is currently home to Class Is BNSF Railway and Union Pacific, which make up about two-thirds of the state's trackage. The rest is operated by a little over a dozen Class III, shortlines (Class II, regional Montana Rail Link owns about 17 miles of track in the state). Today, Washington's originated freight is quite diversified from lumber and waste to agricultural products and pulp/paper. To learn more about the state's railroads and what they haul please click here.

Life as a railroader can be a pretty overwhelming job as, particularly in the field of transportation, it requires one to be on call virtually all of the time (consider weekends as part of the regular work week). Because of this not everyone can handle such a career, which demands one to be away from home and family for such long periods of time. However, Class I railroads offer exceptional pay, retirement, and benefits which is why so many both enter the industry and make a career of it. Of note, if you are able, landing a job with a smaller railroad would allow for more predictable hours although openings with these companies are usually pretty scarce.

In any event, you don't have to enter the transportation field if you want to work for the railroad as there are numerous job titles available with the large companies. For more information regarding Washington railroad jobs, please visit the links below or the railroad's individual contact information concerning possible openings. Finally, for those in college looking for internship work, especially if you are looking at a career in business/management be sure and check out the Class Is' career pages listed below, many offer such programs during the summer.

Lastly, to search for Washington railroad jobs directly please use the below search box from Indeed.com.

Class I Railroads

Amtrak

BNSF Railway

Union Pacific

Regional, Class II Railroads

Montana Rail Link: Montana Rail Link began operations in 1987 over Northern Pacific trackage sold by Burlington Northern. Today, it operates more than 900 miles of railroad between Montana, Idaho, and eastern Washington. To contact them regarding potential job openings please click here to visit their website.

Shortline, Class III Railroads

Ballard Terminal Railroad: This terminal railroad serves a few industries along the waterfront of Seattle, operating three miles of track near Salmon Bay. To contact the company; 4725 Ballard Avenue Northwest, Seattle, Washington 98107-4810. Phone 206-782-1447.

Cascade & Columbia River Railroad: The C&CR is one of RailAmerica's vast family of shortlines operating close to 100 miles of track between Oroville and Rocky Reach where it connects with BNSF. To contact the railroad please click here.

Central Washington Railroad: This shortline operates about 80 miles of unconnected track between Yakima and Gibbon. The railroad is currently owned by Temple Industries. To contact them please visit their web page.

Columbia Basin Railroad: Another railroad owned by Temple, the Columbia Basin Railroad operates about 73 miles of track between Connell and Moses Lake with branches serving Othello, Schrag, and Warden. For contact information please click here.

Columbia & Cowlitz Railway: This historic railroad dates back to the 1920s and operates 31 miles of track in conjunction with sister road Patriot Woods Railroad. The C&C is currently owned by Patriot Rail. For employment inquiries please visit their website.

Great Northwest Railroad: This shortline is owned by the Watco Companies and operates 77 miles of track between Lewiston, Idaho and Riparia, Washington. The railroad currently has interchanges with both UP and BNSF. To contact them concerning job openings please click here to visit their web page.

Kettle Falls International Railway: The Kettle Falls International Railway is an OmniTRAX-owned shortline, operating 160 miles of track between Chewelah and extreme southern Canada at Columbia Gardens and Grand Forks, British Colubmia. To contact them concerning jobs please click here.

Meeker Southern Railroad: This shortline is owned by the Ballard Terminal Railroad operating five miles of track between Puyallup to McMillin. Please see Ballard's contact information above.

Mount Vernon Terminal Railway: This terminal line operates the former trackage of the Pacific Northwest Traction Company, an interurban serving the town of Mt. Vernon. The current shortline serves a few industries located in the town. To contact them; P.O. Box 216, Clear Lake, Washington 98235-0216. Phone 360-708-0190.

Palouse River & Coulee City Railroad: The Palouse River & Coulee City Railroad is another Watco shortline operating over 200 miles of unconnected rails in western Idaho, southeastern Washington, and northeastern Oregon. It currently has interchanges with both UP and BNSF. For contact information please click here.

Pend Oreille Valley Railroad: Owned by the Port Pend Oreille this shortline operates abandoned Milwaukee Road trackage between Metaline Falls and Newport, Washington, which also stretches into northwest Idaho. Please contact the port to inquire about job openings.

Lewis & Clark Railway: The Lewis & Clark Railway is owned by Clark County operating 33 miles of railroad between Vancouver, Washington and Yacolt. The company has an interchange point with BNSF Railway near Vancouver. For contact information please click here.

Puget Sound & Pacific Railroad: The PS&P is owned by RailAmerica operating more than 100 miles of track west and south of Olympia. The railroad began operations in 1997 taking over the property from BNSF. To contact the company please visit their web page.

Tacoma Rail: This shortline is owned by the City of Tacoma, operating more than 200 miles of track. To contact the railroad please click here.

Tri-City & Olympia Railroad: The TC&O dates back to 2000 and operates about 18 miles of track between Hanford and Richland Junction where it has a connection to UP. Additionally, the railroad serves the Port of Olympia. To inquire about job openings please visit their website.

Washington & Idaho Railway: The W&I began operations in 2006 and currently runs on former Northern Pacific connecting Spokane with Moscow and Harvard, Idaho. To contact them about job openings please visit their website.

Western Rail Switching: This terminal railroad began operations in 2004 operating trackage near Spokane. The company also performs other rail-related business such as rebuilds. To contact them about employment please visit their website.

Commuter and Light Rail Transit

Sound Transit: Sound Transit serves the commuter needs of the Puget Sound region. I believe Sound Transit hires their own employees although I am not sure. To find out please visit their website.

For more information about shortline railroads that serve Washington 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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