Railway Training

Work conditions and requirements

• Railway employment self-assessment [PDF]
• Medical rules and requirements

Recommended training

• RAIL 1001 - Railway and Rail Yard Employment Skills part-time course
  This course provides you with the knowledge and practical skills required for employment within the many industrial railway, short line and railway supplier environments.


• RAIL 1010 - Canadian Rail Operating Rules Certification part-time course
  This course is designed for those who are working in the railway industry in entry level positions, and for graduates of RAIL 1001. The course will provide the full Canadian Rail Operating Rules (CROR) that governs federally regulated railway operations in Canada (focusing on their impact on Canadian railways), and will also include record keeping and Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) for Railway.


• RAIL 1020 - Railway Conductor and Operations part-time course
  This is an advanced course in railway operations, covering the important skills and knowledge essential for employment as a railway conductor. This includes the role and responsibilities of a railway conductor handling train operations.


• Railway Conductor | BCIT/Industry Partnership Certificate full-time program is under review and not available at this time.
Taking all three of these recommended courses (Rail 1001, Rail 1010, and Rail 1020) will provide you with the equivalent level of training as the full Railway Conductor program. These courses add together to provide all of the Railway Association of Canada curriculum content for approved colleges. Successful graduates would be deemed to have met the training requirements, proficiency assessments and qualifications required to work in the role of a railway conductor at a class 1 railway.

BCIT has been delivering education in the railway sector for over 15 years. We are one of the three colleges in Canada that offers this type of training, however we are the only college that has a certified industrial railway (BC) with the Minister’s operating certificate.

Key features of our facility include:

• BCIT’s own dedicated and secure industrial railway yard for students / trainees to perform railway practical tasks
• Over 1650 feet of secure track, with four different switches, GP9 locomotive, a rail car mover and a fleet of rail cars

Industry training

BCIT can create custom courses designed to meet your operational needs.

Training can be delivered on your site, or at our yard on Annacis Island. Examples of our industry services include site risk assessments, SMS and GOI creation, modification, recommendations for changes to the latest regulations, refresher training for recertification in CROR, signals, TDG, air brakes, and a variety of other courses. Theoretical reviews, practical training and proficiency assessments can be delivered. Railway Association of Canada learning guides are provided in many of the courses as reference material for students to keep.

If you wish to receive a full listing of options and available training, please contact us.

Part-Time courses

In addition to the following part-time courses, customized part-time courses may be arranged.

• RAIL 0115 - Introduction to Canadian Railway Culture
  This course will familiarize learners with railways, their organization, railway unions, regulatory bodies, and the technology, culture, and political reality of this industry.


• RAIL 0116 - Introduction to Railway Infrastructure
  This course will give learners a basic knowledge of the railways’ main infrastructure aspects (track, freight railcars, locomotives and their maintenance), as well as an introduction to the specific Canadian Railway Operating Rules and how they impact major functions within railway operations.


• RAIL 0117 - Freight Railway Equipment Air Brakes Refresher
  This course will give those working in the railway industry (mainly conductors, locomotive engineers, yard supervisors) an overview of the responsibilities and procedures for performing tests on freight air brake equipment. It reviews pre-departure and en-route tests required in accordance with regulations.


• RAIL 0118 - Crew Resource Management for Railway
  This course will provide those working in the railway industry greater awareness of safety and prevention of incidents and accidents.


• RAIL 0120 - Canadian Rail Operating Rules Recertification
  This course will provide those working in the railway industry (conductors, locomotive engineers, yard supervisors) a review of the Canadian Rail Operating Rules (CROR) that govern federally regulated railway operations in Canada and Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, and Regulations impacting Canadian railways.


• RAIL 0123 - Canadian Rail Operating Rules for Industrial Railways, Shortlines, Sidings, and Spurs
  This course will provide industrial railway operators a review of the Canadian Rail Operating Rules (CROR) that govern provincially regulated industrial railways in British Columbia. Students will write a CROR level examination for rules pertaining to non-main track operations.


• RAIL 0124 - OCS and CTC Update for BC Industrial Railways, Shortlines, Sidings, and Spurs
  This course will provide those working in the industrial railways, that come in contact with a main track, an update and review of the federal Canadian Rail Operating Rules (CROR) in Occupancy Control System (OCS) and Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) rules.


• RAIL 0125 - Transportation of Dangerous Goods for Railway Recertification
  This course will provide those working in the railway industry (conductors, locomotive engineers, yard supervisors) an overview of the Canadian federal legislation regulating the transport of dangerous goods and its impact on Canadian railways.


• RAIL 0126 - Rail Yard Safety
  This course will give those interested in working in the railway industry the opportunity to learn essential skills required for safety in a railway yard and working on freight equipment.


• RAIL 0131 - Transportation of Dangerous Goods for Railway Certification
  This course will give those working in the railway industry (mainly conductors, locomotive engineers, yard supervisors) an overview of Canadian federal legislation regulating the transport of dangerous goods. Content will include a review of the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act and Regulations with a focus on the impact to Canadian railways.