Day-to-Day – the Release Train Engineer

For a Release Train Engineer (RTE), no two days are ever the same. Attempting to lay out what an RTE should do each day would be come out of date the minute it was written. In this section, you will discover some typical activities that an RTE undertakes regularly. Bear in mind that depending on the ART and organizational maturity, these may vary widely.

Keeping the Train (ART) on the Tracks

There are many idioms that folks use to describe an RTE’s job, including “keeping the Train on the tracks,” “keeping the plates spinning,” “herding cats,” and “keeping balls in the air.” I’ve even heard the RTE called the “ART mom.” However, you want to describe it or whatever you want to call it, the RTE’s job is indispensable in ensuring success.

Much of what the RTE does is ensure that coordination and conversations are happening. They are working...