The Rail Academy of Central California
Project Description/Objective:
The Rail Academy of Central California (TRACC) operates as a strategic partnership between San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission (Rail Commission) and Sacramento City College (Sac City) to train and place students into quality transportation-related jobs in railroad and transit sectors.
Sac City oversees the approved curriculum and instruction. The curriculum was created based on the Sac City curriculum previously developed in consultation with Union Pacific.
Current Rail Workforce Challenges:
The rail industry has and will continue to experience workforce challenges through normal attrition, which was magnified by the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the lack of community exposure to the railroad industry. The railroad industry struggles to attract new talent to replace a workforce that is aging and cycling out of the industry. In the region, there are a few college rail programs and public-private apprenticeship programs available. Sac City had suspended their successful railroad workforce program in 2012, hampering efforts in our region to attract young talent. Many of the students that graduated from the Sac City Railroad Operations Program went on to have successful, well-paying careers with Union Pacific, Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF), Amtrak, TransitAmerica Services, Inc. (TASI), CSX, Norfolk Southern and the Rail Commission.
TRACC seeks to address the challenges of an aging, highly skilled workforce by creating opportunities for high-paying, skilled jobs for historically disadvantaged populations and communities.
Benefits to the Rail Industry and Community:
The goal of the TRACC Program is to provide the youth of Stockton, CA and the surrounding region the opportunity to gain marketable skills to position them for success in the transportation industry, with an emphasis on rail and transit. The jobs and current salaries of Rail Commission and TASI range from $60,320 to $98,009. Graduates of the program will economically benefit the communities in which they live and provide entities such as the Rail Commission, Union Pacific Railroad, TASI, BNSF, CSX, Norfolk Southern, Amtrak, Class 3 railroads, and regional transit districts the talent needed to transport passengers and freight via rail safely.
As of 2018, when examining all U.S. rail transportation employees, including freight railroad employees, they ranked above 94 percent of employees in other industries in average annual compensation at $133,000 per year.
The Rail Academy of Central California Plan:
The Rail Commission’s 157,000 square foot ACE Rail Maintenance Facility has two training rooms large enough to hold 50-60 students and Rail Equipment for students to complete their hands on learning.
The TRACC Program is offered free of charge to high school students that participate through the dual enrollment program. The dual enrollment program is currently available to Stockton Unified School District and Sacramento City Unified School District high school 11th and 12th graders that are at least 16 years old. Staff is working on expanding the dual enrollment offering throughout San Joaquin County. Adult learners can find more information about program costs and financial aid programs at the link below:
Railroad Operations Prospective Student Information
For more information on the enrollment process, please visit Sac City College’s website:
Want to Learn More About the Program?
Contact SJRRC’s Rail Services Coordinator, Megan Craig:
mcraig@sjrrc.com
209-944-6272
Key Participants
Stockton Unified School District
Sacramento City Unified School District
Transit America Services, Inc.
Union Pacific Railroad
Amtrak
Women in Transportation Seminar International