Save your mental health - Railroad Conductor CN Employee Review

1.0
Jul 1, 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Money was good(but money isn't everything)

Cons

Incompetent management who are stuck in the old ways and have no clue how to do their jobs but love to tell the conductors how to do theirs. The fact that the public doesn't know how we are treated and how dangerous goods are handled is extremely concerning. You have no life other then being a robot and being at work, forced overtime because they think it's a privilege to work longer. Being forced to work tired hauling 22,000 tons through towns or 125 miles to a destination. Mentally beat down every single day by someone who couldn't do your job and is suppose to be your "boss", oh and you also have 40 different bosses who dont communicate therefore you might get asked the same question 5 different times on the radio even though those people are all sitting in the same room together. Safety means nothing when production is busy but if you get hurt best believe the company is going to throw you under the bus as fast as they can. Lacking of training and when you become a "qualified" conductor you better be able to move as fast as a conductor who's been doing it for 20 years or else you'll get in trouble for "being slow". Do not work for this company, it will destroy your home life and your mental health which is worth a lot more then what they will ever pay you

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CN Response
3y
Thank you for your feedback and for your hard work. We pride ourselves on providing our team members with great pay. When we recruit talent to our teams we spend a lot of time going over the realities associated with the railroad operating 24/7/365 days a year, including how being on call can disrupt your family life and important events. Safety is a core value at CN and we make sure to provide our employees with the necessary tools and training to work safely. We also provide a number of ways for employees to share and escalate safety concerns. We strive hard to create a work environment where all employees have an opportunity to develop and grow their career. We thank you for helping move our business and the economy forward. Please share your thoughts during our regular pulse surveys.

Explore other reviews about CN

5.0
Apr 2, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Its what you make of it. Good union job with good benefits

Cons

You're always waiting on trains.

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CN Response
3mo
Thank you for your feedback and for your hard work. We pride ourselves on providing our team members with great benefits. We thank you for moving our business and the economy forward. Please share your thoughts with your manager and on your regular Interaction surveys.
4.0
Apr 13, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Pays decently well for first job out of college. My manager and team are very reasonable with expectations placed on new hires. Working after office hours (past 4:30pm) is extremely rare and only expected in emergencies.

Cons

Very slow and/or limited job growth potential. Promotions into middle management are almost purely based on reputation with middle managers who are largely people with previous field experience. This is very disadvantageous to direct-from-college hires like myself and even my current manager.

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CN Response
2mo
Thank you for your feedback and for your hard work. We pride ourselves on providing our team members with great pay. With a 24/7/365 operation CN could not function without its dedicated employees. We thank you for moving our business and the economy forward. Remember to leverage your development plan to have career discussions with your leader and please share your thoughts on your regular Interaction surveys.
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