Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen

What Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen does

The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS) is a federally chartered labor union founded in 1901 and headquartered in Front Royal, Virginia, that exclusively represents approximately 10,000 skilled railroad signal and train-control employees across the United States and Canada. Its members install, repair, and maintain signaling systems, warning devices at railroad-highway grade crossings, and roadway maintenance machines, and the union is the certified bargaining agent for this craft under the Railway Labor Act at the major North American freight and passenger carriers it covers, including Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific, CSX, Amtrak, and the Long Island Rail Road.

BRS operates a subscription/dues-based revenue model in which individual members pay recurring monthly dues in exchange for collective bargaining representation, health and welfare benefits (including pharmacy benefits administered through Optum Rx as of January 2025), retirement plan advocacy, legal representation, scholarship programs, and political advocacy through the affiliated Signalmen's Political League. Member-facing distribution is centered on a UnionActive-hosted web portal, iOS and Android mobile applications, and the quarterly Signalman's Journal, while the union's go-to-market motion is community-led organizing at represented carriers rather than commercial selling. As a 501-style nonprofit labor organization, BRS is governed by its members through elected Grand Lodge officers and does not have external shareholders, traditional funding rounds, or commercial product revenue.

Beyond its core representation function, BRS has been expanding its footprint in 2024-2026 through a $9.7 million rail safety and workforce development partnership with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Hum Industrial Technology, and the Transportation Technology Center operated by ENSCO, Inc., a series of major collective bargaining outcomes (including an 18.8% wage increase over five years under the National Wage and Benefit Agreement ratified July 2026 and a 28.5% increase at Amtrak in 2023), and an active public posture against the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger before the Surface Transportation Board. The organization does not develop or sell commercial technology products, has no public API or AI platform, and has no subsidiaries.

Name

Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen

Legal name

Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen

Website

https://brs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1901

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen is a 1901-vintage US/Canadian labor union that exclusively represents approximately 10,000 railroad signal and train-control workers, delivering collective bargaining, health benefits, advocacy, and member services funded by monthly dues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Labor Union Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Rail Signaling Control & Interlocking Operations (CBI/IXL/Interlockings) (TLAJAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Signaling, Train Control & Communications Construction (CBTC, Interlockings, SCADA) (IMAFAFAC)

Keywords

• Railroad labor union
• Collective bargaining representation
• Union member benefits
• Rail worker advocacy
• Trade union services

Headquarters

HQ city

Front Royal

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Union Membership Dues: The BRS generates revenue through membership dues from railroad signal employees. The union provides member benefits including health insurance, retirement benefits advocacy, scholarships, and legal representation for workplace issues.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen is a nonprofit labor union that represents approximately 10,000 railroad signal employees across the United States and Canada. It negotiates collective bargaining agreements with Class I and passenger railroads, advocates for workplace safety, administers health and welfare benefits, publishes the Signalman's Journal, and provides legal representation and scholarships to members. Core offerings are organized around union representation, member benefits, and political/legislative advocacy.

Product overview

The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS) is a nationally recognized labor union established in 1901 that represents approximately 10,000 railroad signal employees throughout the United States and Canada. BRS does not offer commercial technology products or services. Its offerings consist of union representation, collective bargaining, member benefits, advocacy, legislative representation, and member resources such as a mobile application for members to access their accounts. The organization is not structured as a platform-plus-modules architecture; it is a membership-based labor organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Signalmen's Journal: The official journal/publication of the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen.
• Signalmen's Political League

Products and services

• Union Membership Representation Core labor union membership providing collective bargaining representation, workplace safety advocacy, and legal representation for railroad signal employees throughout the United States and Canada. Members at freight and passenger carriers (Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific, CSX, Amtrak, LIRR) receive negotiated wages, benefits, and protections.
• Member Health and Welfare Benefits Health insurance, pharmacy benefits, and welfare programs offered to BRS members as part of union membership, with pharmacy benefits administered through Optum Rx.
• Signalman's Journal Publication Quarterly journal publication for BRS members covering union news, safety updates, member stories, and advocacy initiatives.
• BRS Mobile App Official mobile app for BRS members available on iOS App Store and Android Play Store, providing access to member resources, news updates, and account functionality.
• Union Member Scholarships Scholarship programs available to BRS members and their families as part of member benefits supporting education and workforce development.
• Political Advocacy and Lobbying (Signalmen's Political League) Political advocacy and lobbying services for BRS members, including candidate endorsements, legislative advocacy on rail safety, and engagement with bodies such as the Surface Transportation Board and National Mediation Board.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% ratification margin on LIRR agreement following historic coalition strike
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 January 2025BRS entered a $9.7 million rail safety partnership with UTRGV, Hum Industrial Technology, and the Transportation Technology Center (TTC) operated by ENSCO, Inc. The partnership aims to transform rail safety and workforce development.
• Hum Industrial TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 November 2024Part of the $9.7 million rail safety partnership focused on research and development of safety technologies for railroad signal operations.
• Transportation Technology Center (TTC/ENSCO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 November 2024Part of the $9.7 million rail safety partnership. TTC, operated by ENSCO, Inc., provides research facilities and expertise in transportation technology.
• CSX Transportation - Operation RedBlockcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1984Operation RedBlock is a union-based, company-supported program designed to prevent employee drug and alcohol use while on duty. BRS and CSX celebrated 40 years of this partnership in 2024.
• EdvanceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEducation partnership offering union members and their families access to affordable, high-quality education options through Edvance.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Transport Workers Union of America (TWU): AFL-CIO affiliate representing transit and railroad workers including at Amtrak and commuter carriers. Overlaps with BRS on passenger rail representation and shares the same National Mediation Board bargaining framework.
• SMART Transportation Division: Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Division, representing conductors, brakemen, and yardmasters. Comparable as a railroad operating craft union engaged in collective bargaining with the same major freight and passenger carriers.
• Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET): National Division of the Teamsters representing locomotive engineers and trainmen in the US. Closely comparable as a railroad craft union with collective bargaining agreements at the same Class I carriers BRS negotiates with.
• Brotherhood of Railroad Carmen Division: Division of the Teamsters representing carmen (rail car repair workers) on freight and passenger railroads. Directly comparable as a railroad craft union negotiating similar health, welfare, and wage issues.
• Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED): IBT division representing track maintenance workers on freight and passenger railroads. Comparable as a railroad craft union negotiating at the same Class I carriers and addressing related safety and workforce issues.
• International Brotherhood of Boilermakers (IBB): AFL-CIO craft union representing metal trades workers including those in rail locomotive and car repair shops. Comparable as a railroad-affiliated craft union with similar bargaining relationships under the Railway Labor Act.
• American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA): Independent rail labor union representing train dispatchers and related operating craft employees. Directly comparable in scale, mission, and bargaining counterparties (US Class I carriers).
• American Railway and Airway Supervisors Association (ARASA): Independent union representing railroad supervisors and managers. Comparable as a national rail labor organization operating under the Railway Labor Act with collective bargaining relationships at the same Class I carriers.

Broad incumbents

• AFL-CIO: National labor federation coordinating many US unions. Comparable as the broader institutional umbrella under which most railroad craft unions affiliate, sharing political advocacy infrastructure and policy priorities with BRS.

Others

• National Railway Labor Conference (NRLC): Employer-side bargaining association representing Class I and regional railroads in national negotiations with rail labor unions. Adjacent rather than competitive — NRLC is the principal counterparty BRS faces at the national bargaining table.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BrotherhoodofRailroadSignalmen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brotherhood-of-railroad-signalmen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen