Amtrak Specific - Work/Life Balance?

Hope this hasn't been posted already. I've just applied for a locomotive engineer trainee spot with Amtrak. I don't come from a railroad background or the military (only a year of ROTC in college), but I am a manufacturing engineer who's been away from home for the last 6 months. I usually fly home from Cleveland once every week for the weekend.

So work/life balance in my current role is non-existent. But I'm used to traveling and having to pull 70 hour work weeks for a month straight.

How might being an engineer on the bottom of the union totem poll compare? I've seen so many complaints from Amtrak employees saying they don't have a good home life because of how frequently they travel. I can't help but think, if I'm home more than 2 nights per week, it's already a big improvement.

It depends on what crew base you are considering to work at. Off corridor is mostly (but not all) overnight (away from home terminal work.) On corridor work is you will go home at the end of every shift (no staying in a hotel.)

Thank you for the reply. Base would be in Philadelphia so yes, on the NE corridor.

I don't know how the Philly crew base is but I can tell you BOS and NYP you will be home on the guarantee most of the time for now.

Good to know, thank you.

Since I'm on the topic, does a trainee / entry level engineer get 40 hours per week on the corridor?

As long as you are available for work when you are suppose to be you always get a 40 hour check even if you work less than 40 hours, that's what we mean by the term "Guarantee". While you are training you will either see a 40 hour schedule or more (paid all at straight time rate/ student rate.)