Blue Collar 101: Working on the Railroad

NOTE: This Blue Collar 101 Session is a special DAY & TIME
What actually happens to keep thousands of commuters moving across our regional rail network every single day? Who operates the locomotives, manages passenger safety on the move, and maintains the heavy machinery that keeps one of America's busiest transit systems running on time?

For the third session of Blue Collar 101, we're bringing together workers from the frontline crew operations of the regional commuter rail network. Rail professionals will walk us through what the job actually looks like: the operational mechanics, the split-second safety protocols, the physical demands, and the career pathways into this high-consequence transit work.

This is a panel conversation for the general public and those curious about the skilled workforce that keeps our transit infrastructure functioning. Expect honest, ground-level discussion about what it means to manage transportation systems that cannot fail, how the work is learned on the tracks, and what most commuters never see because it happens in the cabs and the rail yards. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, alongside public agencies, unions, and educational institutions, is prioritizing the importance and future of our industrial labor force.