This spring,
new crews will begin taking over the operation of all GO trains that
run on CN railroad tracks. In a five-year contract with the transit
agency, worldwide transportation firm Bombardier is to replace CN
engineers and conductors with its own employees on six of GO’s seven
train routes. Bombardier also builds GO rail cars and maintains the
agency’s trains.
A reader, who
has asked to be identified simply as a concerned retired engineer,
emailed me about the new crewing contract. Here’s some of what he
wrote: “GO Transit believes that by replacing existing experienced
railway operating employees (i.e., locomotive engineers and
conductors) with Bombardier-supplied train operators this will
improve service, improve on-time performance and save money.
“To have
inexperienced people running high-speed GO trains with hundreds of
passengers during peak hours is unsafe and unacceptable.” The reader
adds, “Anyone familiar with rail operations knows that the most
important aspect of railroading is experience; knowledge of
territory, knowledge of operating rules and proper training. This
takes years and years of actual railroading experience to achieve.”
Tina Bouchard,
spokesperson for Transport Canada -- the federal ministry that
oversees railways -- states, “The crews used by third party
contractors must meet all regulatory requirements, as well as the
requirements of the railway whose tracks they will operate on.”
Replying to the
reader’s comments, GO spokesperson Stephanie Sorensen states, “The
assumption that new ‘inexperienced’ people will be operating GO
trains is incorrect. Just as CN currently has a blend of
long-service employees and relatively new hires, Bombardier will
also be hiring employees with a range of experience.”
She tells In
Transit, “Trains will continue to have a three person crew. Each GO
train will have two Commuter Train Operators, both capable of
driving the train, who will concentrate on the operation of the
train. The Customer Service Ambassador will concentrate on customer
service.”
GO managing
director Gary McNeil says, “We’re not going to go out with a
contract that would jeopardize safety of either the crews or our
customers -- and CN is exactly the same, and so is Transport Canada
and all of our partners.” He continues, “Bombardier knows they’ve
got to reach certification requirements, and they have a very, very
extensive training program -- similar to a training program which is
undertaken in the United States for commuter rail operations.”
Says GO’s
McNeil, “From our perspective these crews will be trained, they will
be certified very intensively by CN -- CN doesn’t want anything to
happen either -- and it will be undertaken in a way that meets all
the regulatory requirements as well as our customers’ needs.”
A Bombardier
official deferred comment in favour of GO, citing a preference by
the transit agency to respond “directly” to In Transit.