How does Metra work?

My dad use to take Metra from Kenosha to Chicago to work M-F. I think that this was when the line was still operated by C&NW and not Union Pacific. Over the years he got to know some of the conductors and after talking to them about working the line and all, he mentioned that a few conductors would do the run down to Chicago work another job and in the evening make the run back north as a conductor. My question is, is this how it works on a commuter type operation. I guess not even Metra for say but I am only familiar with Metra since its in my location so I use them as an example. Does a conductor/engineer run the train in the moring layover and work a different job during the day and run the train in the evening going the other direction? If thats the case that would not be a bad gig, maybe some of the smaller commuter operations are set this way that have the most runs during the morning and evening commutes?

I thought the various railroads that Metra operates over do the hiring for engineers? There is a posting on the Metra site for an engineer, what gives.

Thank you in advance
Cheers!!!

That's pretty much how it works. Because on most lines outside of rush hour only one train is moving in either direction every hour, you can realistically cover those schedules with 2-3 trainsets and just as many crews. But, there is still a whole slew of crews that ran trains into the city each morning and will run trains back when commuters are going home. So that's where the getting-a-job-during-the-day thing comes in. It's either that or they chill out in a crew room at CUS or LaSalle St or wherever (which usually have easy chairs, TVs, etc) for that amount of time.

And no, only the BNSF and UP crews are actually class-1 freight railroad crews. Metra crews staff trains on the Heritage Corridor, North Central Service and SouthWest Service lines. Metra owns both Milwaukee lines along with the Rock Island and Electric District, so naturally those lines are staffed with Metra-hired crews as well.

Also, for the record: That posting on Metra's website on hiring engineers isn't entirely true. It's intentionally left up there whether they're actually hiring or not.

The UP lines to Kenosha and Harvard (I'm not sure about the West line) have a lot of one round trippers with long daytime layovers like you said. The Metra crewed Milwaukee District lines have mostly jobs that do two round trips a day. The North Central line has a number of one round trippers. Shifts like that can end up being 13-15 hours long (granted one isn't working for the entire time) and most of those jobs also work one day of the weekend as well.

I've heard stories about how, back in the day, commuter conductors on the Rock Island would bring their morning train in, stroll over to the Board of Trade, work the pit all day, and then work their evening train home. I didn't think the railroad would allow any sweet assignments like that to continue to exist in this day and age.

I think if I had the choice, I would rather have a job to go to once I got into the city, rather than lay around in a crew room all day Lazy Boy's or not that has to get old. Do the railroads know that the employees are working elswhere while in the city or is this something they do under the table? When I worked at the airport we were not allowed to work for any other companies on the field, but that did not stop people from moon lighting at other airlines Just had to do it on the down low.

I'd be concerned with the type of work and that there be some time off during the day. You want people who are at the top of their game morning and evening, and not as strung out as the passenger who only have to sit and remember to get off at the right stop.

The train crews work under federal hours-of-service laws which provide for a "split shift" wherein they work a certain number of hours, have a certain number of hours of "undisturbed rest," then work another certain number of hours. That "undisturbed rest" time is the employees' time to spend as they choose; the company can't really say what they can and can't do during their time off as long as it doesn't interfere with their ability to perform their duties while "on the clock."

I dug up a crew schedule for the Milwaukee District given to me a few years ago by a contact at Metra, and although MD/N and NCS have a couple of crews that do rush hour only trips, most MD/W crews do four trips; although there are a couple of crews doing six. There's also some crew deadheading on MD/N, particularly in the afternoon.

There are some UP crews that will work both the N and NW lines in the same day, most of which are based out of Chicago. All UP/W crews however, are based out of Elburn, and no west line crews will work any other route; was told once that's part of the labor agreement, IIRC. While there are a few rush hour only runs, most crews will do four trips. Also, UP/N, UP/NW, and MED are the only routes that have some train crews based out of the downtown terminal...

Not sure about BNSF, but I suspect with all the deadheading going on, there's probably very few (if any) crews that just do two trips...

I've heard that crews for both the Rock and SWS districts are pooled together, but hopefully, Bones can shed more light on that...

doepack wrote:Not sure about BNSF, but I suspect with all the deadheading going on, there's probably very few (if any) crews that just do two trips...

Most BNSF crews do 2 trips in the morning and one in the afternoon. Or sometimes the other way around. Deadheading is taken into consideration. BNSF crews are based out of Aurora.

I worked the BN side too. Some jobs would have a run in, then either a second trip, or a flip (Congress Park or Doweners Grove). Then they would have a run out. Some jobs had the extra run or flip in the morning, others in the afternoon, like MetraBNSF said. This is to stagger the times that the trainsets and locos were shopped. it also made use of the crews.
I held an afternoon job. This had no long layover, but it made 2.5 trips. We were an express in, then made a flip. After that, we made another round trip to Aurora, then went out, and tied up.

For the afternoon rush, most of the Milwaukee North deadheads( mostly engineers) take either train 2136 or 2140 into Chicago. In the case of the train 2140, it drops off the crew members at the Western Ave. Yard prior to making the station stop.

On this line during the weekdays, most of the crews make 1-2 roundtrips between Chicago and Fox Lake or Grayslake. Some engineers, however make a round trip and a half, deadheading home to Fox Lake after their workday is done. I learned this from an engineer who works this line.

doepack wrote:There are some UP crews that will work both the N and NW lines in the same day, most of which are based out of Chicago. All UP/W crews however, are based out of Elburn, and no west line crews will work any other route; was told once that's part of the labor agreement, IIRC. While there are a few rush hour only runs, most crews will do four trips. Also, UP/N, UP/NW, and MED are the only routes that have some train crews based out of the downtown terminal...

Well I don't know where you got your info but its not completely correct regard UP crews. Yes there are crews that work the N and NW lines. But the few that do don't all start of the the city. UP/W crews are not all based out of Elburn some start out of the city. As far as W-line crew not working any other line not correct per labor agreement we cover one assignment on the NW line. As far as the number of trips about half the crews will work 2 roundtrips, a few will work 1 1/2 trips and the rest work 1 in 1 out.

qboy wrote:

doepack wrote:There are some UP crews that will work both the N and NW lines in the same day, most of which are based out of Chicago. All UP/W crews however, are based out of Elburn, and no west line crews will work any other route; was told once that's part of the labor agreement, IIRC. While there are a few rush hour only runs, most crews will do four trips. Also, UP/N, UP/NW, and MED are the only routes that have some train crews based out of the downtown terminal...

Well I don't know where you got your info but its not completely correct regard UP crews. Yes there are crews that work the N and NW lines. But the few that do don't all start of the the city. UP/W crews are not all based out of Elburn some start out of the city. As far as W-line crew not working any other line not correct per labor agreement we cover one assignment on the NW line. As far as the number of trips about half the crews will work 2 roundtrips, a few will work 1 1/2 trips and the rest work 1 in 1 out.

Thanks qboy, I stand corrected...