My high school guidence consoler told me the other day that is was not a good idea for me to become a train engineer because rail traffic was going down. Now I’d really like to know where she is getting her infomation from. From what I gather on the News Wire and the Forums there has been nothing but a steady gain in rail trafic and no sharp declines in rail trafic. Also I haven’t read about anything that would contribute to any decline in rail trafic. Has there been any drop in rail trafic that I just simply have missed or is my guidence consoler way off?
Print this off for him to read this is from the Trains News Wire, August 12:
Rail freight traffic up, says AAR
WASHINGTON – Freight traffic on U.S. railroads was up slightly during the week ending August 6 in comparison with the corresponding week last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported Thursday.
Carload freight for the week totaled 330,667 cars, up 1 percent from last year. Carload traffic was up 2.8 percent in the West but down 1.1 percent in the East.
Intermodal volume, which is not included in the carload data, totaled 230,013 trailers or containers, up 7.6 percent from last year, with containers up 9.5 percent and trailers up 2.6 percent.
Total volume was estimated at 32.7 billion ton-miles, up 1.9 percent from last year.
To review the complete report, go to AAR’s Web site.
Here is a link to the AAR’s website. http://www.aar.org/ViewContent.asp?Content_ID=3172
Don’t let him stop you we need all the railroad men we can get. If you are looking into a career you might also find this interesting, the MODOC Rail Academy. http://www.modocrailroadacademy.com/
Generrally, I wouldn’t think your average high school counselor is the best resource for information on current rail traffic patterns. In this case your counselor is out to lunch.
Tell your High School Guidance Councelor that there is a forecast decline in Guidance Councelors in the upcoming years.
Maybe she could become a RR employee?
I don’t know where she is getting her infomation but there is no way I would let her influence my mind for a career. I have two career choices a railraoder or a GM auto mechanic and 100% of me is leaning towards the railroad. Like my freind who was recently hired by NS, he didn’t care what he did as long as he was working for the railroad.
And thanks for the MODOC link James.
Train Guy 3- DON’'T take the GM option, trust me, you will regret it in the long run!
I didn’t acctually mean working for GM company, I simply ment an auto mechcanic who specializes in GM vehicles. Cars are my second love.
Well Hallo-freakin’-yula!- That’s exactly what I meant.
If you are going to do the Dealership, or Independent thing- you best set yourself a long-term plan for the future. And start now.
Trust me- been there, done that. If you have freedom, go for the RR job.
I’m gonna inherit the auto business from my father one way or another in the future so I might as well have a side business for working on cars.
Oh. somber music playing . That’s somewhat befuddling for you.
If you take on the Family Biz, you are completely out of the RR Biz.
Boy- I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes! (my Dad is dying and I don’t want to be a Baptist Minister!).
Still, having spent 20 years of my life in the auto industry, I would pick the RR.
But that’s me- you gotta pick what’s right for you.
No I call it…Property Taxes going up,and Her Pay check is getting much smaller.
Allan.
I just said I was going to inherit the family business… Didn’t say anything about acctually running it.[8]
Hey I want to be a train engineer too…
Now that is funny. [:o)] [:I] [8)] [:p] [;)]
Actually more women are becoming railroads workers. Just listen to a scanner and you will hear female voices. [:X] [8)] [:I]
Traffic is, and will keep going UP!
But, employment is expected to go DOWN!
Check it out: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos244.htm
Well even if employment is expected to go down I’m still gonna make my bid to become an engineer.
Rail Traffic Down? Not in my area. We have more trains than you can “shake a stick at.” [:D] [;)] [:D]
And I am glad to see them too. [:p]
Now that I think about it rail traffic is down in my area. Some trains across the bridge and some run below the bridge, so in a way rail trafic is down.[}:)][8]
That’s what all the career sites say, I have teachers and friends looking at me telling me how the job outlook is down…I pull up the AAR site. These people don’t know what their talking about. As for my school counselor, she was thrilled that I wasn’t going for the honors program or that much college and knew exactly what I wanted to do for a living, a lot less work on her.
In my area Rail trafiic is down from last year and slowly was been droping since 2003. It was 30 trains a day from 1999-early 2003 here on the NS line. But since 2003 its slowly droped to 15-20 if your lucky a day"24 hour day"