Sonia Campos: Leader of rail safety education at Metro

As Hispanic Heritage Month unfolds, Metro recognizes the valuable contributions of its Latino workforce, which makes up over 44% of our 12,000+ employees. Among many talented individuals keeping Metro moving is Sonia Campos, who helps ensure all personnel around the trains know the safety regulations. Read on to learn more about her role at Metro. 

When Sonia Campos was eight years old, her aunts would take her by bus from La Puente to Downtown Los Angeles to go to the movies. She fondly remembers greeting the bus driver with excitement and spending the ride glued to the window, captivated by every neighborhood they passed. Little did she know, those rides became glimpses into her bright future in transit.   

Years later, with nearly 25 years of experience in various roles, Sonia now leads Metro Rail’s instruction department. She knows safety protocols inside and out, ensuring that every operator, supervisor and rail system staff member works in a safe and secure environment.   

“The primary responsibility of my department is to train new rail operators,” Sonia explains. “We don’t just teach them how to operate the trains, but also the rules, what rail signals mean, and how to follow safety procedures.”  

One of the biggest challenges for trainees is learning to communicate within the rail system. Students have to master new terminology and get used to new words like ‘catenary system’ (the network of overhead wires that supplies electricity to trains) and ‘third rail’ (a source of electricity alongside the tracks to power a train) as well as learning how to use radio codes. “It’s like learning a new language,” Sonia says.   

The training to become a rail operator is intense. Trainees must meet certain requirements, like having worked as a Metro bus operator for at least a year and passing a physical fitness test. After that, they have to attend three weeks of daily eight-hour classes. “The training is paid, like regular work hours, so the students can focus,” says Sonia. “There are daily tests, and you have to maintain a 90% average to pass.” Once trainees complete 120 hours of instruction, they go to a rail division –– one of Metro’s local train yards –– for hands-on supervised practice.   

“You can’t go to your division without knowing the rules and procedures,” Sonia emphasizes. “That’s the foundation for doing your job well.” She encourages students to ask questions and study in groups because working in the rail system requires teamwork.  “If your train stops, it will affect the train in front and behind you. If you need to get off the train, you have to know how to protect yourself and communicate properly with the rail operations center.”  

Sonia’s department also trains future instructors, contractors, and external personnel who provide support to Metro, such as the LAPD, deputies of the LASD, and LAFD responders. Familiarity with the rail system is crucial to identifying emergency and meeting points as well as locating fire equipment and evacuation areas. Sonia stresses that safety is the golden rule to avoid hazards, especially around power train tracks.   

“We train nearly 3,000 people each year just on rail safety,” Sonia shares.   

When Metro acquires new trains or expands its rail lines, Sonia’s department is the first to learn about it. They figure out how the equipment works, what the new routes are, and then update the standard operating procedures to reflect the latest information for instructors and future students.  

In a field dominated by men, Sonia is proud to be part of Metro’s rail team and is excited to see more women joining the industry. Earlier this year, while monitoring the tests, she noticed one female trainee struggling with her scores. Sonia reached out to offer her a spoonful of confidence. “There is nothing stopping you but yourself,” she told her. Her advice seemed to stick. The trainee graduated and is now one a full-time rail operator.   

“My advice to women who want a career in rail is to believe in yourself,” Sonia says. “As women, we tend to doubt and wonder if we are capable of doing it… It takes time to learn but trust yourself –– you can do it.”  

Sonia is also proud to be part of a growing group of Latinos building their careers at Metro. Although born in Los Angeles, she celebrates her Hispanic heritage, passed down from her father who is from Nuevo Leon, Mexico.   

“Anytime we celebrate something, the whole family gets together,” says the mother of four and grandmother of six. “We still celebrate Christmas by opening gifts on the night of December 24^th. It’s a tradition to gather and make tamales as a family and enjoy them with some good menudo. That’s something special.”