All-Day Staffed Stations For Just One Train?

[June the Coach Rider]

If you're talking about me June, there's no reason to be coy about it.

Yes, if someone makes a factually incorrect statement that I have the data to refute, I'm going to refute it. I love going through data and distilling it down to figure out what we can learn from it. The thread from this morning where someone asked about CZ timekeeping over the winter is a perfect example of that. I've got time data for every train arriving at every station in Amtrak's system at my disposal, and have written some software tools to go through that data and provide concrete answers to questions like that. It's something that I do for my job and enjoy greatly.

Telling someone their facts are wrong doesn't have to drive a major conniption fit, though. When I'm incorrect (and believe me, it happens), I do my best to be gracious about it, thank the person for the correction and file it away as a new fact learned without taking it personally.

When it comes to making value judgements based on that data, I don't really have a dog in that fight. My general take is that Amtrak has better data than any of us do, and unless demonstrated otherwise, is competent enough to make use of that data. I think that trying to piece together the scant data that we get from Amtrak and try to pretend like that makes us railfans more qualified to run the railroad is just silly. My only reason for even entering this thread was that I saw a claim that looked interesting and verifiable (timekeeping of train #1 drives employees in Houston to work massive amounts of overtime). I got curious, looked at the data and saw that it didn't support that conclusion.

Anyhow, that's probably far more than anyone is interested in knowing, but that's my thought process.

No Ryan, on the contrary, I was supporting you. If you look up above, you will see who I am talking about. I was agreeing with posts that you have made in other threads. Easy, I am not talking about you at all.

 

[haolerider]

Do you read?Overtime was a footnote in my comments. I quote: "real tragedy is because of late trains how much OVERTIME these underworked employees are cashing in on." The fact that 3 to 4 to 5 people are each working 40 hours per week for 2 hours worth of work per day is sad. But the real tragedy is how much overtime has to be paid ON TOP of countless unproductive time.Now, what's in your other hand behind your back, or up your sleeve, or in your hat? What's your next slight of speech?

You know, all this discussion makes very little sense, unless either one of you have access to the payroll records of the staff at the Houston station. Do you have such information, or is this all just another set of assumptions that are so often made on this board, with little or no actual factual evidence to back up your statements? OTP, as it relates to overtime has to be backed up by actual payroll records. Unless you have these records, all your discussion are worthless. Your analysis may make sense to you, but it is still only a portion of the subject matter. You seem to be missing the key ingredient......"How large is the overtime pay for the Houston station?"

Do either one of you live in Houston and go to the station to observe the daily activities? Have either one of you worked in an Amtrak station and have any personal knowledge regarding the daily duties of a station agent? If not, let the Manager of the Houston region figure it out!

 

[Ryan]

Despite the answer to all of your questions being "no", I think that we're in complete agreement, sir.

When it comes to making value judgements based on that data, I don't really have a dog in that fight. My general take is that Amtrak has better data than any of us do, and unless demonstrated otherwise, is competent enough to make use of that data. I think that trying to piece together the scant data that we get from Amtrak and try to pretend like that makes us railfans more qualified to run the railroad is just silly. My only reason for even entering this thread was that I saw a claim that looked interesting and verifiable (timekeeping of train #1 drives employees in Houston to work massive amounts of overtime). I got curious, looked at the data and saw that it didn't support that conclusion.

No Ryan, on the contrary, I was supporting you.

Thanks, June - I know that we've had our differences in the past. I'm glad that we can put that behind us.

 

[firstcultural]

Just a thought on station use... I think stations ought to have at least the hours of a typical retail store. Most of the time I interact with station staff is not right before a train - it's when I need to buy tickets ahead of time for a complicated trip (for example, one with sleeper for half the route and coach in the other). There have also been times I go into the station office and one of the agents is on the phone, perhaps there are other things they do when there aren't any walk-ups.

 

[NW cannonball]

This thread on micro-managing fantasies reminds me of Rep Mica (R Fla)

No doubt Amtrak uses labor inefficiently at times. No doubt at all. Likewise for the stock-market darlings like - G, or A, or A -- . Or the many shops at the Mall of America where at some hours, no customers in sight.

To those who rant about "union rules" -- there are many many small stations with part-time workers. So part-time workers must be possible -- yes? union rules or no?

No defending overstaffing -- but without knowing revenue per staffed hour, and cost of renta-cops when big-city station closed -- no way to figure the real cost/revenue.

Yes, like a retail store -- cheap labor, compared to profit/sale -- or not.

How many sales lost because of unstaffed station vs cost of labor -- who knows?

Not many speculating posters here know or have a clue, I imagine.

 

[BCL]

Just revisiting an old topic, but certainly Salinas. I've had my opportunities to visit and they do have some services just by bus, but only two one train in each direction all day.

And I did chat up with different station agents in 2016 and just a few months ago. The first agent said that she worked with another one, and their schedules usually overlapped except two days a week. And yeah she had to do everything, although baggage isn't too bad since they use carts. The latter visit I arrived on bus (but only after improvising after missing a train) and the return was 3+ hours late because of a problem in LA delaying the train. And yeah everyone was waiting, including a bus driver headed to Monterey and the station agent who said he'd rather be home than collecting overtime.

 

[JoshP]

Downtown Buffalo, NY (Exchange ST Station) is the same, only one agent works from 330am to 11pm.

its crazy but yeah

 

[20th Century Rider]

Could be a matter of state funding??? On my recent trip to Jefferson City MO there was a small shed because the historic station had to be closed due to structural instability. So, the small shed is operated by friendly volunteers who get absolutely no compensation. Needless to say they enjoy their job and are friendly and helpful