Canadian Railroads > No Conductors on VIA for 20 Years

It’s 20 years ago this month, July 1998 since VIA eliminated Conductors and Assistant Conductor/Trainmen positions. "Service Managers" took over passenger duties within the train and 2 engineers in the cab now handled operational duties.

Trains operating over CP still had a conductor I believe: Sudbury-White River and on Vancouver Island.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/13/18 04:32 by ghCBNS.

Has anyone seen data on cost savings or impact on safety?  Assuming there has been a positive cost impact and safety isn’t compromised, it’s an operational model Amtrak should consider.

Dave

DavidP Wrote:
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> Has anyone seen data on cost savings or impact on
> safety?  Assuming there has been a positive cost
> impact and safety isn’t compromised, it’s an
> operational model Amtrak should consider.

If it wasn't a safe operation...I don't think Transport Canada would allow it. It's been in place now for 20 years.

The "NEPO" as VIA called it (New Era Passenger Operations) has generally worked well. Many of the service managers on corridor trains are very young with little rail experience, but they are fast learners. They do not perform all the duties of conductors, in that they have no operating authority. They cannot tell the engineer where to stop at the platform, only request. They may not open doors until the engineer gives permission at each stop. They do not say to the engineer: "All aboard; you are clear to depart" as the conductors did, but advise that the doors are closed and secured.

Except on the rare RDC run, there are always two engineers as ghCBNS said in the first post. On longer runs/shifts they switch part-way. I don't know if that is official policy or whether they do it themselves. (Any clarification is appreciated.) The position of baggageman has been eliminated. One of the engineers handles the checked baggage at many of the intermediate stops. Sometimes the person in charge of the coaches on long-distance trains (I believe they are called assistant service co-ordinator) will look after the baggage car.
 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/13/18 14:02 by DrawingroomA.

It's a model that I have long advocated for the Amtrak long distance trains to consider. It does bring train operations into a new [modern] era and it DOES save money! 

So saving money is always suppoed to be far more important than safety?  Really?  Is there data that shows that this practice is as safe as having well-trained and experienced people performing the traditioal duties of conductors?

I would really appreciate learning what percentage of its annual budget Canada spends on its military, and what percentage it spends on VIA.

TIA for any good info on this!

Margaret_SP_fan Wrote:
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> So saving money is always suppoed to be far more
> important than safety?  Really?  Is there data
> that shows that this practice is as safe as having
> well-trained and experienced people performing the
> traditioal duties of conductors?

And what makes you think these people aren't well trained and experienced??

They may well be well-trained and experienced, but they still do not perform the duties of traditional conductors, and the poor engineers have to be baggage-handlers, also?  That is ridiculous!   "Saving money" is not an acceptable reason for this practice.

DavidP Wrote:
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> Has anyone seen data on cost savings or impact on safety?  Assuming there has been a positive cost impact and safety isn’t compromised, it’s an operational model Amtrak should consider.

Yeah, I guess they should consider this one, too.  We don't have enough unemployed people.  

https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/one-hal-of-a-ride-rio-s-pilbara-robot-makes-first-iron-ore-delivery-20180713-p4zrb1.html
 

Margaret_SP_fan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They may well be well-trained and experienced, but
> they still do not perform the duties of
> traditional conductors, and the poor engineers
> have to be baggage-handlers, also?  That is
> ridiculous!   "Saving money" is not an
> acceptable reason for this practice.

WOW really!  VIA's last serious accident was caused by 3 THREE people in th cab of a locomotive and losing situational awareness.  How having a conductor would have prevented this is beyond me!

CA_Sou_MA_Agent Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> DavidP Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Has anyone seen data on cost savings or impact
> on safety?  Assuming there has been a positive
> cost impact and safety isn’t compromised,
> it’s an operational model Amtrak should
> consider.
>
> Yeah, I guess they should consider this one,
> too.  We don't have enough unemployed
> people.  
>
> https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/one-hal-
> of-a-ride-rio-s-pilbara-robot-makes-first-iron-ore
> -delivery-20180713-p4zrb1.html
>  

We certainly don't have enough people with the skills modern jobs require, that's or sure.