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Transit and Railroad Police

O*NET files this work under Transit and Railroad Police: people who protect and police railroad and transit property, employees, or passengers. With a code of RCE, this is mostly a job for people drawn to hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world. Conventional interests also help, rated 4.9 out of 7. The preparation level is medium preparation, typically one or two years of vocational training, an apprenticeship or an associate’s degree. O*NET’s skill data points to speaking, active listening, and critical thinking as the ones to build. The job can ask you to prepare reports documenting investigation activities and results. If you want hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world, keep it on your list. If you need creative work with room for original expression, it may feel thin.

What they do

Protect and police railroad and transit property, employees, or passengers.

Main tasks

  • Prepare reports documenting investigation activities and results.
  • Monitor transit areas and conduct security checks to protect railroad properties, patrons, and employees.
  • Apprehend or remove trespassers or thieves from railroad property or coordinate with law enforcement agencies in apprehensions and removals.
  • Direct security activities at derailments, fires, floods, or strikes involving railroad property.
  • Patrol railroad yards, cars, stations, or other facilities to protect company property or shipments and to maintain order.
  • Investigate or direct investigations of freight theft, suspicious damage or loss of passengers' valuables, or other crimes on railroad property.

Skills

  • Speaking
  • Active Listening
  • Critical Thinking
  • Complex Problem Solving
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Monitoring

Who this career fits

May suit you if

  • You like ending the day with a physical result you can point to.
  • You like clear rules and getting the details right.
  • You are willing to put in a year or two of focused training.
  • You are comfortable relying on speaking and active listening.

May not suit you if

  • You would rather stay away from physical, hands-on tasks.
  • You need creative expression to be a big part of your day. Artistic rates 1.0 out of 7 here.
  • You need to start within a few months, with no training period.

Interest profile

O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code RCE takes the three highest, and Realistic comes first here.

Preparation

Medium preparation. Expect vocational school, an apprenticeship, related experience or an associate’s degree, usually one or two years in total.

Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Bachelor's Degree. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.

Also called

  • Law Enforcement Officer
  • Patrol Man
  • Patrol Officer
  • Patrolman
  • Police Captain

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.