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Subway and Streetcar Operator

What They Do

About This Career

Operates subway or elevated suburban trains with no separate locomotive, or electric-powered streetcar, to transport passengers. May handle fares.

This career is part of the Transportation, Distribution and Logistics cluster Transportation Operations pathway.

A person in this career:

  • Monitors lights indicating obstructions or other trains ahead and watches for car and truck traffic at crossings to stay alert to potential hazards.
  • Drives and controls rail-guided public transportation, such as subways, elevated trains, and electric-powered streetcars, trams, or trolleys, to transport passengers.
  • Operates controls to open and close transit vehicle doors.
  • Reports delays, mechanical problems, and emergencies to supervisors or dispatchers, using radios.
  • Regulates vehicle speed and the time spent at each stop to maintain schedules.
  • Makes announcements to passengers, such as notifications of upcoming stops or schedule delays.
  • Directs emergency evacuation procedures.
  • Completes reports, including shift summaries and incident or accident reports.
  • Greets passengers, provides information, and answers questions concerning fares, schedules, transfers, and routings.
  • Attends meetings on driver and passenger safety to learn ways in which job performance might be affected.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

  • You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
  • Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
  • Exposure to pollutants, gases, dust, fumes, odors, poor ventilation, etc.
  • Conditions are very hot (above 90 F) or very cold (under 32 F)
  • Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
  • Exposed to conditions such as high voltage electricity, combustibles, explosives, and chemicals more than once a month
  • Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting
  • Work in this occupation requires being outside most of the time
  • Work in this occupation involves making repetitive motions more than one-third of the time
  • Work in this occupation involves sitting more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

  • Picking out a particular sound in the presence of other sounds
  • Identifying color and seeing differences in color, including shades and brightness
  • Judging how far away an object is, or which of several objects is closer or farther away
  • Seeing clearly at a distance
  • Detecting sounds and hearing the differences between sounds of different pitch and loudness
  • Seeing clearly up close
  • Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
  • Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

  • Rotating shift work

Specialty and Similar Careers

Careers that are more detailed or close to this career:

  • Combined Rail Operator
  • Light Rail Operator
  • Light Rail Vehicle Operator (LRV Operator)
  • Rail Operator
  • Rapid Transit Operator (RTO)
  • Light Rail Train Operator
  • Train Operator
  • Transit Operator
  • Trolley Operator

Contact

  • Email Support

  • 1-800-GO-TO-XAP (1-800-468-6927)
    From outside the U.S., please call +1 (424) 750-3900

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