How are the train crews scheduled for work? Trains pretty much run 24/7-365. How are the crews rotated? Do they go from point to point and then back? I saw on extreme trains that the produce train is a five day trip from west coast to east coast. Is it the same crew? Do they get to the east coast then get a couple days off, then return? Just seems interesting to try to figure out the scheduling.
For road crews, we work on call, in a pool. First in first out. Take a train to point B, lay over and then bring a train back to point A. Usually taking a train anywhere from 100 to 320 miles one way. Nobody stays on a train taking it a couple thousand miles non stop. We have 12 hour work limits and seniority districts that would not allow for that. That joke of a host on extreme trains gave out so much BS mis-information it’s not even funny. No wonder the show got cancelled. Usually the only time a single crew is kept on the same train for a few days in a row, are crews that catch work trains. (Ballast, rail trains, etc.) They are called for it, and can be held to it for a week. But they are in the same area working everyday and stay in a hotel everynight, usually the same one. Always on their seniority district, usually no more than 50-100 miles from home.
Namerifrats, is eight hours still the minimum rest time (which, of course, does not give you eight hours of rest before you are called unless you can sack out at the terminal, and you wake up to find that you are on duty immediately)?
Also, what are the maximum hours of service if you have to be called out on short rest? I have known one such situation, thirty-nine years ago, when I was riding from Detroit to St. Louis with a crew that came in late the night before, and, apparently, no other qualified crew was available to take the train out (we were delayed by a freight that had broken in two before we reached their terminal and the dogcatcher had to come out).
Johnny
Good answers for most mainline freight operations above. But there are other answers. First start with seniority based on the day you hired out in a given position. Then use seniority to bid and hold certain jobs be them in pools or other. The other include yard jobs and locals, sepcific pools of either general runs or particular train sets within those runs. Most specifics are passenger services where each job is numbered with assigned duties or assigned trains and is bid onto with the most senior of bidders getting the position. Until bumped. Anyone with more seniority can take a job assignement away causing a bump on down the line of superiority. But often the more seniorority one has the better the daily yard or local is assuring being home every day by a usual time. Road and/or pool crews often work out of a home terminal and return as early as the following day after manditory rest period is fulfilled. Usually the same manditory rest is given at home before returning to work In reality it often works out that you can return to do a full days work after an average of 10 hours off. In commuter services there are split shifts where one can do, say, a 6am train, tie up at terminal probably an hour and a half to three hours later then not have another train until after three in the afternoon and do one and a half or two round trips. But it will equal 8 to 12 hours on, and usually, by grandfathered or at least by base, up to 125 to 150 miles as a “day”.
The new law that is comming into effect is 10 hrs undisturbed rest at home or away . you can not be called earlier than 10 hrs.
I know I’ll be bidding a job that stays at my home terminal once that happens and goes active.
So damn stupid. There was nothing wrong with the 8/10 system that is currently in place. In fact, I actually PREFER it compaired to being stuck in a hotel for a minimum of 10 hours [:(!]
And if I was 10 Years younger i wouldnt want 10 hrs either but Im getting to old to get going after 3hrs rest to be out there 12 + hrs.
That away from home layover is a big problem. Yes, a quick turnaround and home sounds great and very desireable for many. It can mean a whole day (24 hours) off before next trip in some cases but it could also mean a quick turnaround at home too so that you are home only the quick 10 hours. An individual could be making 10 to 14 days pay a week but at what cost to fatigue. And therein lies the rub. A fresh, (12 or more hour rest) crew is a safer crew, more effecient crew. And probably have a better “quality time” at home, too, plus does not suffer from fatigue which enables better individual work and private performance over long period of time, better chance to earn more income if not the same over long periods of time. I am sure there are scientific studies, time and movement, work input output studies, that can explalin better what I am saying. Yes, the impeteousness of youth can keep you running longer for the moment, but later and over the long haul, the slower pace is better for all.
Henry is right: The ideal time when flying is 12 on 12 off that way not getting your body rhythm out of phase. I can stand 12 on 10 off without too much trouble but goiing to 14 on 18/20 off gets bad. The 36 hour spread can kill me away from home.
The transportation world being what it is - ideal and reality cannot be used in the same sentance. All the happenstances that occur in moving from A to Z by any means of transportation roll ‘ideal’ into the ditch. Ideal, like perfection, is rarely if ever obtained.
But fatigue and burn out is a major factor in both occupational safety and so called home life or family values. Being home on a quick turnaround and being too tired to do anything but sleep or not having time to be with family or pursue hobby and relax can be health hazard for many. “Yeah, I can handle it” is fine once or twice but twelve to fourteen hours on and awak and only 10 before returning to work on either leg makes for a short life span either because of health or the accident waiting to happen. So what has to be done? In this day and age a lot can be done. A crew can be home within 10 hours in many instances just by changing crews at the end of every eight hours where ever the train is and drive them back (yes, details to be worked out, but it is an outline) or to terminal while new crew brings it in. Roads are already paying for taxis and crew vans and drivers so why not utilize them to the maximum as part of the logistics of moving from terminal A to terminal B instead of outlaw retrievers. I am sure those close to the situation of crew dispatching and utilization can come put with ideas along these lines. I know some guys want and need the overtime pay, but job safety and healty home environemnt may be more important for all involved.
Scheduling from the railway’s point of view seeks to make sure trains are not held for crews, nor are there too many deadheads. The railway looks out 24-72 hours and projects when trains will arrive from connections, be released by shippers, or be called at yards. The chief dispatcher or crew dispatcher looks to see how many crews are available, when they’ll be available, and matches up their future availability to future train start times. We then look to see how the crew pool balances on each district. If there is an imbalance, the railway deadheads crews from the surplus terminal to the lean terminal in time for them to rest before call. As small to medium size railways you can figure this out on a legal pad. The day chief hands off the pad to the night chief, and back the next morning, each updating as they go. At a big railway, software algorithms are used because there are so many network effects.
For single-train branch lines this is simple, but once there are multiple crew districts strung together in a line, or multiple crew districts radiating from a hub, the possibilities increase geometrically and the scheduling gets much more complicated.
RWM
Railwayman,
Thats what I was wondering. How far in advance are the trains and crews scheduled. And about how much notice they give the crews. I understand now how they are looking 2-4 days ahead setting up the trains, and where they are going. So, when a crew is getting off “shift”, are they kind of told…ok be back in 10-12 hours kind of thing?
Thanks to all who responded. Very informative.
A train crew theoretically gets a minimum two hour call. However, if at the end of their 12 or 14 hours being awake and working, the crew will often check to see how far down the list they are and what is the expected schedule of trains after their 10 hour rest. Crew caller will say they are the sixth crew on the list and there is only one train due in the next 12 hours. Then at the end of 8 hours they get a call to be on board in two hours. Or they may be two out with five trains due in the next 12 hours so they get rested and are ready for the call in 8 but four trains were combined into two and one derailed closing the line so crew doesn’t get called for three days.