How to hire transit and railroad police
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • 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. • Enforce traffic laws regarding the transit system and reprimand individuals who violate them. • Examine credentials of unauthorized persons attempting to enter secured areas. • Investigate or direct investigations of freight theft, suspicious damage or loss of passengers' valuables, or other crimes on railroad property. • Monitor transit areas and conduct security checks to protect railroad properties, patrons, and employees. • Patrol railroad yards, cars, stations, or other facilities to protect company property or shipments and to maintain order. • Prepare reports documenting investigation activities and results. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: High school diploma or equivalent] • Strong active listening, speaking, critical thinking, monitoring, active learning and writing skills • Working knowledge of public safety and security, law and government, English Language and customer and personal service • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $43.38 an hour ($90,230 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for transit and railroad police
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to apprehend or remove trespassers or thieves from railroad property or coordinate with law enforcement agencies in apprehensions and removals. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to direct security activities at derailments, fires, floods, or strikes involving railroad property. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to enforce traffic laws regarding the transit system and reprimand individuals who violate them. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to examine credentials of unauthorized persons attempting to enter secured areas. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What transit and railroad police do
- 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.
- Enforce traffic laws regarding the transit system and reprimand individuals who violate them.
- Examine credentials of unauthorized persons attempting to enter secured areas.
- Investigate or direct investigations of freight theft, suspicious damage or loss of passengers' valuables, or other crimes on railroad property.
- Monitor transit areas and conduct security checks to protect railroad properties, patrons, and employees.
- Patrol railroad yards, cars, stations, or other facilities to protect company property or shipments and to maintain order.
- Prepare reports documenting investigation activities and results.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for transit and railroad police
- Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 6 months to 1 year (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Moderate-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: +3.2% over ten years, about as fast as average · about 300 openings a year (BLS)
Related hiring guides
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
- Security Guards
- First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives
- First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers
- Detectives and Criminal Investigators
- Transportation Security Screeners
- Compliance Officers
- Private Detectives and Investigators
- Fire Inspectors and Investigators
- Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters
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Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: 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. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.