Does anyone know about National Academy of Railroad Sciences? In Overland Park , Kansas?

Question

I am curious about cost, length of course, and job placement.

Answer 1

It's a good school and campus.  If you are moving into the area the housing is very expensive near the campus.  More railroads than BNSF hire from there from all over the country.

Answer 2

Let's see, NARS IS johnson county community college in overland park.  The academy is just the back wing section of the community college....it's pretty big.  It will cost you about 12k to complete the course.  You pay for your own room and board....often at an extended stay hotel set up with a full kitchenette.  It's not to bad.  The length of course you need to check on at the website....the 12k$ mentioned above is for conductor training.  The offer a bunch of different programs so I'm not sure which one you're interested in.......If i were going to pay....I'd go through conductor training.  Job placement is excellent since BNSF is now offering jobs to applicants who went through NARS first before others.  Don't let anyone tell you that the railroad hires you from NARS so that you're already trained, because it isn't true.  Once you are hired, you still have to go through conductor training just like everyone else that didn't go through NARS, so the railroad isn't "saving" money, because they still pay you the same during the training.  It's pretty much the same as what you go through at NARS.  The railroad just knows you're serious about working for them and are committed since you invested your own money by going to NARS.  NARS is the surest way at getting hired if there is one and I've never heard of anyone being turned down after going through NARS.  Don't waste your time on the engineer side of NARs....you have to be a conductor first with the railroad...."they'll train you when your seniority allows."  If you're wanting to run on a train, you have to be either a conductor or engineer, and to be an engineer you have to be a conductor first.........sooooo....If you're going to NARS........conductor training is the only program that's going to benefit you at being hired.  Good Luck

Answer 3

Former BNSF training center.

Spun off as a private enterprise

Could lead to a job with BNSF.

It's just the railroad's way of getting "new hires" to pay for their training before they're hired, rather than the railroad paying for it after they're hired.

Sucks doesn't it.

Answer 4

I don't specifically know about the Academy you mention.  However, there is a college called JCCC - Johnson County Community College near Overland Park.  This college specializes in railroad training for linemen, engineers, conductors, brakemen etc...  You might look it up if your interested.