Exactly what steps do i need to take to persue a career as a train conductor for the Maryland Transit Administration

Dear Kevin.

Your interest in becoming a conductor for MTA is indeed commendable. Moving people in and around our Nations’ Capital is environmentally important, is socially significant and a career which offers satisfying work, good pay and benefits.

I hired out as a conductor many years ago and went on to many different positions in the passenger transportation business. If you enjoy working with people, problem solving and can be flexible, these jobs may be for you. The way to go about getting a position in train service varies depending on where you work....even with the MTA.

The Baltimore-Washington line is operated by Amtrak and the employees on those MTA trains actually work for Amtrak. These jobs are awarded in accordance to seniority and, as they are very desirable positions so the folks working them often have very high seniority ranking. So in order to get one of these jobs, you would work on Amtrak trains for a long time before being able to get one of those jobs.

Amtrak Conductors positions are advertised on: https://jobs.amtrak.com/go/Conductor-Jobs/400409/   This website will have locations where conductors are needed and a very good description of conductor duties, responsibilities and job requirements.

The Camden and Brunswick lines are operated by Bombardier under a contract for the MTA. The conductors hired for these lines work exclusively on these lines and are employees of Bombardier. The contracts for these lines are competitive, that is, they are awarded periodically. The last operator was CSX Transportation. "Generally" once you are hired for that service, you would be retained by the new company but not always so it helps to fully investigate how this works today. The best jobs here also go to the employees with the most seniority. Go to: https://jobs.bombardier.com/job/Baltimore-Passenger-ConductorAssistant-Conductor-MD-21201/471214500/ to see specific details.

It appears that there are ongoing opportunities on the MTA Camden and Brunswick lines. Presently, Amtrak shows no openings in the Baltimore/Washington area.

Both the websites contain specific position requirements.

Generally, to become a conductor a high school diploma is minimal and any addition education will enhance your chances of being hired. Customer service experience and mechanical skills are also important. Railroads all operate with different types of rules governing safety, operations, revenue and passenger service. To the extent you can become familiar and conversant with these rules will also give you an edge. A conductor is "in charge" of the train and the people working thereon so any supervisory skills and/or experience would be an advantage. Being able to demonstrate that you are familiar with the railroad you want to work on (the stations, number of tracks, signal locations) will show that you are serious about wanting a position.

A newly hired employee will be required to work an "extra list" prior to getting a regular job. That means you are "on call" and would work jobs for people who are off on vacation, ill or for new positions. This is not for everyone. It involves working all shifts, weekends and holidays. On Amtrak, you would be working trains between Washington and New York. This a seven day a week/ 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and requires a significant amount of commitment. My family often celebrated Holidays before or after the "real" holiday as I knew I'd be working on the actual holiday. All jobs on the railroad are interdependent and require focus at all times.....Heavy, quiet equipment moving fast, that doesn't stop quickly is not to be taken lightly. It can be very dangerous when people are not paying attention. Every day is different and if you like that, you'll probably enjoy railroading.

All that said, there are folks who hire as a conductor and work their entire career in that service. For others there are opportunities in other areas. If you have a solid knowledge of the railroad, a good education and some ambition, you might end up "running the railroad".

My advice to new employees: When things are going well....enjoy and learn...as it won't always be like that , when things are not going well, stick with it, keep learning....it will get better. Good luck!

I hope this helps.

Regards,

Don Knapik