ÖBB-Produktion GmbH takes care of the train provision for the freight and passenger traffic. Before departure, each train set is examined thoroughly to its driving ability. This activity is carried out by a wagon technician, of whom about 80 are currently employed in Upper Austria.
The main activity of a wagon technician is the carriage inspection and the initial check. It serves the purpose of quality control and the detection of any defects in the vehicle. These include, among other things, the testing of the brakes, the detection of damages to vehicles or to cargo/load securing; control of train formation, ranking control and takeover of vehicles after repair by ÖBB garages.
“Wagon technician is probably the most beautiful and interesting job with ÖBB,” says Helmut Hinterberger, instructor in Linz. He prepares the future wagon technicians for their responsible work. Since 2014, 20 new wagon technicians have been trained in Upper Austria, with two simultaneous courses being offered from 2018 for the first time.
The training as a wagon technician takes 30 weeks in the first stage. After taking the exam, wagon technicians are working to inspect freight trains. An additional 10-week training allows them to also study passenger transport vehicles. Further career opportunities are offered to the wagon technicians with additional qualification (e.g. mobile wagon technican, wagon technician for technical examination after repair of railcars) as well as QMS wagon technician, and finally instructor.
In Austria, the ÖBB production/train provision deparment operates a total of 66 wagon technician stations. In Upper Austria wagon technicians are among others working at the large shunting stations in Linz and Wels. Furthermore, ÖBB wagon technicians are also working at large industrial companies in Upper Austria.
The initial salaries of a wagon technician are EUR 1,847 gross (14 times a year) in training and EUR 2,265 gross (14 times a year) after completion of the training. Courses start on February 28 and on November 28, 2018.
For registration visit: karriere.oebb.at or ÖBB-Produktion GmbH; OE Zugbereitstellung, Leitung Flächennetzwerk Mitte, 4020 Linz, Unionstrasse 26.
