VRE Communications

http://www.vre.org/service/newsletter/2010/july.pdf

Communications is King in customer service.

This is routine for the VRE but i have noticed that other transit agencies (MARC anyone? ) either don't do it or pay it only lip service...

Just look at the difference in how passengers were handled on the MARC breakdowns and a similar breakdown that occurred on the VRE....

And for the record the crews on both were Amtrak personnel so the difference is a difference in operating culture with the Commuter authorities and host roads...

MARC - Maryland DOT and Amtrak
VRE - NVTCC and CSX (for this incidence)

1. MARC - let the passengers sit on overheated trains for a couple of hours - reportedly don't talk to them - determine you can't bring a rescue train alongside because it will adversely impact traffic -threaten them if they try to get off because the extenedd soak in +100 degress was making them physically ill - do nothing until EMS orders you to! Show no initiative!

2. VRE - talk to the passengers - determine that you will pull a rescue train alongside and transfer - both crews coordinate in advance and do a door to door transfer while both trains are blocking the entire RF&P (deal with dispatching problems later - take care of passengers 1st) - whole exercise took 1/2 hour to 45 mins....

I cant think of a better set of examples of the differences between MARC and VRE corporate culture....

In my opinion VRE is much more passenger service oriented than either MARC or Amtrak.

Discussion? Differing opinions? Why do you think that is since both use/used Amtrak T&E personnel?

So did you just come here to start a fight?

Otto Vondrak wrote:So did you just come here to start a fight?

No Otto I didn't - however on rereading my post I can see how you might think that....

I was just trying to highlight the differences in corporate operations culture between the two organizations based on their responses to several recent incidents....

I'm a little pressed for time finishing up my lunch at work, but a few questions and thoughts.

How involved is the NVTCC with what happens operationally?

While communications is king, I think that even had the Amtrak crews on the MARC trains communicated effectively, folks still would have been rightly pissed. I think that the difference in these events highlights 2 differences that (from a MARC perspective) need to be fixed:

1. CSX dispatching vs. Amtrak dispatching. Clearly, CSX was willing to cause disruptions to their service to aid the passengers on the stranded train, where Amtrak was not. Of course, freight doesn't mind if it sits for a while while a rescue train does its thing, whereas Acela Express pax certainly do. That said, I'm thinking that Amtrak could do (and has committed to) putting the commuters on a more equal footing with other users of the line. This disparity probably grows out of...

2. Differing standards from Amtrak (as an operator) from the MDOT and the NVTCC - MDOT folks were surprised when I told them of the VRE daily download - they said that they had started requesting something like that from Amtrak, but it sounds like prior to the incident MDOT didn't ask, Amtrak didn't offer and as a result the MDOT really wasn't aware of problems that were brewing. If you're not aware of any problems, it's certainly impossible to do anything about fixing them. Hopefully, MDOT will take a more assertive role in supervising what's going on with all 3 rail lines in the future.

Good topic, and I think that we can learn a lot from it! It's good to see that the moderation staff has some faith in our ability to discuss this like rational adults.

HokieNav wrote:I'm a little pressed for time finishing up my lunch at work, but a few questions and thoughts.

How involved is the NVTCC with what happens operationally?

Actually not much on a day to day basis - VRE has their own staff that is overseen by NVTCC - they do everything, including run their own Ops center which tracks performance, other than actual T&E service and maintenance - however they do oversee these and directly involved in decision making - That CSX decision was probably coordinated/requested by VRE ops who interfaces with the Host RRs and the T&E service provider...

Those daily download reports are produced by VRE staff not the T&E staff...

I wonder if MARC does anything like this or just offloads the lot to the contractor(s)??????

Sounds real similar to MARCs setup - MARC has an Ops Center and staff overseen by the MDOT. The Ops Center interfaces with the host RRs (and is also the Op Center for the MTAs other transportation modes (bus, light rail, etc), but the impression that I get is that they're more in the mode of getting info from the host RRs out to the public. I'd be interested in hearing what the Ops Center folks.

Organizationally they seem to be similar, but the results are certainly different.

HokieNav wrote:Sounds real similar to MARCs setup - MARC has an Ops Center and staff overseen by the MDOT. The Ops Center interfaces with the host RRs (and is also the Op Center for the MTAs other transportation modes (bus, light rail, etc), but the impression that I get is that they're more in the mode of getting info from the host RRs out to the public. I'd be interested in hearing what the Ops Center folks.

Organizationally they seem to be similar, but the results are certainly different.

Agency management?

One of the main differences between MARC and VRE is that MARC is run by Maryland's Transportation Department, while VRE is not run by VDOT. Instead VRE is a transpartation partnership with NVTC and PRTC. This is why VRE's fares are different than MARC. Also, VRE has their own Operation Staff to communicate with customers.

And here is a typical "morning after" report to the passengers from VRE/Operations....

Train Talk — News You Can Use
August 6, 2010 12:12 PM
Last Night's Service Disruption
We would like to extend our sincere apologies to our entire ridership for the severe service disruption yesterday afternoon. A combination of weather related issues and a freight train derailment caused significant delays to both lines of service.
At approximately 3pm yesterday (a half hour before our first afternoon rush hour departure), a coal train derailed near Quantico and five cars fell on their side, effectively ripping up the tracks and halting all rail traffic through that point. We immediately notified riders of the derailment and our plans to operate Fredericksburg Line trains as far as Rippon and have bus shuttle service to Franconia/Springfield for Quantico and stations south.
Because VRE does not have any buses, we called all the transit agencies in the area and OmniRide, Fairfax Connector, FRED, and Quick. They responded well despite the fact that they were in the middle of their own rush hour plagued with traffic and weather problems. They gave us all the buses they could on short notice. At the same time, Amtrak was working to get buses for their stranded passengers. Unfortunately, buses were in short supply. While the waits were long, and in the rain, we were able to get everyone to their final destination.
The storm not only soaked the passengers waiting at Franconia/Springfield for the buses, but knocked down trees and spread debris on the tracks near Crystal City. CSX halted all traffic north of Crystal City and worked as quickly as possible to get the tracks cleared in that area while dealing with the derailment near Quantico. The storm also knocked out power at the Alexandria station, causing our communication system there to go down.
Once rail traffic started moving again past Crystal City, our Manassas Line continued to be affected by the storm. There were reports of downed trees on Norfolk Southern tracks. To add to the difficulties, the National Weather Service issues a flash flood warning, which resulted in speed restrictions. Our Manassas Line trains were only permitted to operate at a maximum speed of 20mph.
For those still on the train past Franconia/Springfield, rail congestion and downed trees caused significant delays for some trains as they proceeded south. We know it can be frustrating to sit on a train with little information. Unfortunately, in most cases, there was little information to give. The trains simply had to wait their turn.
As we worked through the evening, it became evident that we would have to cancel all Fredericksburg service for Friday August 6th , and we relayed this information via Train Talk, our website, the automated phone service, and various media outlets such as radio and TV stations as well as print media. CSX is working to repair the damaged tracks and expects at least one track to be open later today.
To put it simply, it was a bad day yesterday. Derailments, power outages, downed trees affected us, Amtrak, CSX, and Norfolk Southern. The storms also disrupted Metrorail service while traffic on the highways lasted for hours. We understand that this is only the latest in what seems to be a long string of delays lately. Please know that we are working around the clock to mitigate and control the elements we can improve on. CSX should have the tracks repaired around Quantico in time for service Monday; however, there will most likely be speed restrictions imposed on that area until it is deemed safe for trains to operate at full speed. We appreciate and thank you for your patience.
For the latest information, don't forget to check out the VRE web site at: http://www.vre.org. If you would like to unsubscribe yourself or change your delivery information, simply go to the VRE website at http://traintalk.vre.org.