Amtrak driver: what's it like?

[Green]

Hi

What is it like to drive for Amtrak?

Are the rosters and pay good?

How many hours do they have to drive a day?

Is there a lot of time away from home?

Any help answering these would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

Green

 

[jccollins]

Amtrak doesn't actually pay or employ their thruway bus drivers directly. In many cases Greyhound provides the service, or Amtrak contracts it out through a bus company, which is how most of the service works in California. Even though the thruways have the Amtrak name and image of the trains in California, they are still contracted out, meaning Amtrak does not have any drivers that they employ themselves.

 

[Anthony]

I think he meant an engineer...

 

[Green]

I'm sorry I'm very green(hence my name) when it comes to the subject of rail. What I meant was the people who actually drive the trains. I'm not even sure if that is the right word lol.

Any help that can be given in regards to this subject is greatly appreciated and please feel free to correct me on any mistakes I make information wise as I have to learn somewhere.

Many thanks

Green

 

[battalion51]

Well a lot of how often you work, and how long depends on your crew base. Some guys will work as little as three or four hours in a day, some as much as 11 or 12 (by law you cannot work more than 12 hours in one consecutive shift). If an Engineer is to work by himself he cannot work more than six hours (by the schedule) if he only works on one train, or no more than 10 (if he sweitches trains at some point in the day). Engineer pay starts at approximately $27/hr, and does increase with seniority. As far as time away from home goes it depends on the job, some guys will spend two nights in a row away from home, some never even see a hotel (mostly in the Northeast). As an Engineer you are responsible for moving the train, operating the engine according to Operating Rules, blowing your horn for grade crossings, some have to copy warrants that allow them to operate over a section of track and so on. It's not a bad job to have.

 

[ParanoidAndroid]

*** Moderator's note - please note that the previous posts were made over 12 years ago ***

Sounds like fun. I wonder why some people work only 3-4 hrs a day though . . .

 

[Triley]

Sounds like fun. I wonder why some people work only 3-4 hrs a day though . . .

Because that's how the assignments are built.

 

[Acela150]

*** Moderator's note - please note that the previous posts were made over 12 years ago ***

Sounds like fun. I wonder why some people work only 3-4 hrs a day though . . .

I can shift 75 cars in about 90 minutes.. Depends on the amount of cuts to be made and if I have a utility guy to throw switches.. Those shifts get 6 hours cause that's how things will go. Granted I'm a freight guy..