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AI exposure Installation, maintenance and repair

Will AI replace signal and track switch repairers?

Signal and Track Switch Repairers. US occupation 49-9097.

0.0%

of the time signal and track switch repairers spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of signal and track switch repairers' working hours go on tasks AI has already started taking off their plate.

Ranked 346 of 756 US occupations. No AI use seen in the work yet, along with 410 other occupations.No handover started yet, along with 410 other occupations.

Average US job 7.7%

Among the least exposed jobs there are.Still waiting for liberation.

What AI already does for signal and track switch repairersWhat signal and track switch repairers no longer do alone

O*NET lists 12 tasks for signal and track switch repairers. None of them shows meaningful AI use at work yet.

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

12 of the 12 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.

  • Clean lenses of lamps with cloths and solvents.Core task
  • Drive motor vehicles to job sites.Core task
  • Inspect and test operation, mechanical parts, and circuitry of gate crossings, signals, and signal equipment such as interlocks and hotbox detectors.Core task
  • Inspect electrical units of railroad grade crossing gates and repair loose bolts and defective electrical connections and parts.Core task
  • Inspect switch-controlling mechanisms on trolley wires and in track beds, using hand tools and test equipment.Core task
  • Inspect, maintain, and replace batteries as needed.Core task
Show the other 6
  • Install, inspect, maintain, and repair various railroad service equipment on the road or in the shop, including railroad signal systems.Core task
  • Lubricate moving parts on gate-crossing mechanisms and swinging signals.Core task
  • Record and report information about mileage or track inspected, repairs performed, and equipment requiring replacement.Core task
  • Replace defective wiring, broken lenses, or burned-out light bulbs.Core task
  • Test and repair track circuits.Core task
  • Tighten loose bolts, using wrenches, and test circuits and connections by opening and closing gates.Core task

How that compares

Among the 50 installation, maintenance and repair occupations, signal and track switch repairers rank 46. The group averages 0.7%, and its most exposed job is Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairers at 10.7%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.

All 756 occupations, ranked

Level with 0.0%

  1. 346Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers 0.0%
  2. 346Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders 0.0%
  3. 346Shuttle Drivers and Chauffeurs 0.0%

What this does and does not mean

Exposure is observed use, not a forecast. Anthropic maps work conversations with Claude onto the tasks O*NET lists for each job and asks, of the tasks AI could speed up, which are actually being used for at work. A use that does the task outright counts in full and a use that assists a person counts half. The task scores are averaged into the occupation figure by the share of time spent on each task.

A high figure means AI is already part of how this work gets done. It does not mean anyone has been replaced. Anthropic's own reading of the labour market finds no systematic rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting exposed jobs.No measurable rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting these jobs. Gap years for everyone. Labor market impacts, 5 March 2026.

Task list and titles from O*NET 31.0 by the US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. Scores from the Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Checked 1 November 2026. How the ranking works.