Most people employed in the rail industry start their career with the country’s main rail company, KiwiRail.

Work in the industry can include:

• driving trains
• working in rail yards as a shunter
• customer service roles.

Over the past decade, the number of locomotive engineers (train drivers) has increased. This is due to urban passenger numbers increasing significantly in Auckland and rail freight volumes going up by about 4% a year.

However, the number of shunters has fallen, mostly because of some centralisation of duties and rail yard efficiencies.

Number of people employed as train drivers and shunters (1996, 2001, 2006)

Census	Number of train drivers	Number of shunters
1996	690	321
2001	681	300
2006	750	201
Source: Department of Labour, Jobs and Tertiary Education Indicator Tool.

KiwiRail was created in July 2008, when the Government bought back control of rail services from Australian company Toll Holdings. Plans for the new company include upgrading the tracks and buying new locomotives.

The government hopes to increase rail’s share of domestic freight cartage from 18% up to 25% during the next 30 years, which should also see a rise in the number of jobs in the sector.

KiwiRail is the main employer in the rail industry along with Veolia Transport, which operates the Auckland City urban rail network. About another 70 small operators exist, servicing large industries or running tourist ventures.

KiwiRail reports it is always on the lookout for new staff, and job opportunities are likely to increase with continued Government investment in the service and a predicted rise in the popularity of urban rail transport in Auckland and Wellington.

Jobs that regularly arise in this industry include:

• locomotive engineers (train drivers)
• customer service roles on passenger trains, such as managers or guards.

Ontrack maintains the railway lines and controls train movements on the tracks.

While jobs exist throughout the country, most people in this industry are employed in four main regions:

• Wellington (33% of the total workforce)
• Auckland (25%)
• Canterbury (11%)
• Manawatu-Wanganui (7%).