Train/Service Attendant New Employee Questions

Hello there! I was recently offered a train/service attendant position, pending I pass my background check and my physical. I have a couple questions if any current employees can answer them. What is on the physical exam? It's scheduled for tomorrow and they said I'll be using work out equipment and checking my shoulders and what not? Why is this neccessary and what is it exactly?

Also, I don't remember from the application, what the starting pay is and I can't find it online. Does anyone know the staring pay? I'm located in Washington state.

Thanks so much!

I'm not a SA/SCA so I don't know the answers, but here's my guess.

As a coach attendant, you may be asked to help passengers move their bags and/or place them in the over seat baggage rack. That would entail lifting the bags that (supposedly) could weigh up to 50 pounds over your head. And as an SCA, you may have to lift and carry the passenger's luggage to their rooms, possibly place them on the top berth (if the passenger is alone), place them in the over the hall's cubby hole (on Viewliners), set the beds at night and reset them in the morning, etc... All this requires that they test your strength.

Also, they may test your walking ability to see if you become out of breath after walking 100 feet.

Good luck in your new position, and I hope to see you on the rails someday.

The previous poster has pretty accurately given an idea of the physical concerns Amtrak has. Note that you will also be required to pass a drug screen as part of the physical.

The starting rate, I think is $10 (?) p/hour while in classroom and then the base rate is like $18-19. I am sorry, I don't have the current pay scale chart at home.

Great, thank you so much, both of you!

Enjoy your new position!

They will have you run for a few minutes on a treadmill while hooked up to an EKG, to make sure you don't have serious heart problems. They'll also take blood and a urine specimen (drug testing, plus checking for Hepatitis and TB). Pretty basic, and even if you have "something", you don't have much to worry about as long as you are able to handle basic walking, standing, etc. Starting pay AFTER training is about 15 dollars per hour...DURING training, however, I believe it's 60 dollars PER DAY, so save your pennies. And for God's sake, don't get fired during training trips!! This happens far too often...

crew said:

And for God's sake, don't get fired during training trips!! This happens far too often...

Click to expand...

How? For what reasons?

jb

John Bobinyec said:

crew said:

And for God's sake, don't get fired during training trips!! This happens far too often...

Click to expand...

How? For what reasons?

jb

Click to expand...

The first 120 days, the employee is on "probation and is not protected by the union. Thus, this is Amtrak's "green light" to get rid of any potential problem employee, for any reason. Potential clues Amtrak looks for are: Late for work, don't come to work for (literally) any reason, passenger complaints, employee complaints, attitude problems, not available during extra board call period, etc.

Does anyone know how the strength test works? Are your scores combined?

This is, indeed, an ambiguous question to resurrect a nearly year old thread.

I don't have an answer, but my guess is that you would need to be able to toss around 50 lb bags (ie: baggage movements) or to be able to load and offload supplies.

The job can be a very physically demanding job, complete with sleep deprivation. It is not for everyone!