Yeah, I wrote to the FRA about this issue again. I posted a reply last year from the FRA (cannot find the post, but will try to dig deeper) stating that they had no plans to implement such a program as of last year.
I am certainly in agreement with you in regards to experience in the left seat before getting into the right seat. I would have certainly appreciated having more time on the ground than I did, but I had to step up in order to protect my seniority. I'll Ebb-Flow (give up engine service to return to trainman) in Jan when I return to Salt Lake as I don't have the seniority to hold up there. That is just as well. I'd rather have a few more years on the ground gathering more experience here and there.
I am certainly in agreement with you in regards to experience in the left seat before getting into the right seat. I would have certainly appreciated having more time on the ground than I did, but I had to step up in order to protect my seniority. I'll Ebb-Flow (give up engine service to return to trainman) in Jan when I return to Salt Lake as I don't have the seniority to hold up there. That is just as well. I'd rather have a few more years on the ground gathering more experience here and there.
