Railroad Safety & Operating Rules Training
Over 45 years of locomotive, road-foreman, and operating-rules expertise, delivering safety training and certification for industrial rail crews.
Safety is the most important element of every railroad job
Thomas Railroad Consulting trains the people who move rail cars, from ground crews to car-mover operators, on the safety and operating rules that keep them injury-free. Real-world instruction from a career railroader, built for the industrial companies that depend on rail every day.
Trusted by industry leaders
Training that holds up in the field
Safety & Operating Rules
The foundation of every safe rail operation. Don Thomas teaches the general code of safety rules and operating rules that every crew member must know, in plain language, with real-world context from 45 years on the railroad.
This is not a checkbox exercise. These are the rules that prevent injuries, and every rule has a reason behind it.
Online Quiz & Certificate
A self-paced rules quiz with a Certificate of Completion. Score 100% to certify, with progress tracked per crew member.
On-Site Safety Audits
On-location safety audits and rules training for industrial plants that operate their own rail equipment.
Certify your crew, one rule at a time
The online quiz walks each crew member through the railroad safety and operating rules in short sections. Miss a question and you simply try it again, no shortcuts, until every answer is correct.
- Ten questions at a time, scored as you go
- 100% required to earn the Certificate of Completion
- Progress and completion tracked for every test taker
Don Thomas
Locomotive Engineer
Operated high-speed freight trains on some of the busiest corridors in the country, including heavy tonnage coal trains through the mountains of Virginia and West Virginia.
FRA Compliance & Engineer Certification
Responsible for FRA compliance and engineer certification for over 400 engineers and trainees. Trained and promoted Locomotive Engineer Trainees across the division.
Training Officer & Curriculum Designer
Taught FRA regulations at the NS Training Center in McDonough, GA, instructing new-hire conductors on safety and operating rules.
Consultant & Instructor
Developed curriculum and taught for Norfolk Southern, CSX, Union Pacific, and Bombardier. Led railroad safety classes and on-site audits for 3M, LyondellBasell, and Brock Services across plants in Texas, Louisiana, Illinois, and Alabama.
In 45 years on the railroad, I never once met a crew member who got hurt because they knew the rules too well.
Don Thomas | Locomotive Engineer · Road Foreman · Railroad Safety ConsultantBuilt for anyone who works around rail
Railroad Enthusiasts
Hobbyists, photographers, and train fans who spend time around active track. Knowing the rules keeps you safe in and around railroad right-of-way.
First Responders
Fire, police, and emergency medical personnel who respond to incidents involving rail cars, locomotives, or track. Safety rules save lives when seconds count.
Industrial Rail Operations
Chemical plants, refineries, manufacturers, and terminals that move product by rail on their own property. If your crew works around car movers or rail cars, they need to know the rules.
Are you a first responder (fire, police, or ambulance) who works incidents near rail, or does your company have rail on its property?
Get certified. Stay safe around rail.
Whether you are a railroad enthusiast who spends time near active track, a first responder who answers rail incidents, or a company with rail operations on your property, the rules are the same. Know them before you need them.