U.S. Train Ridership Up, But Satisfaction Remains Elusive

In a word, the problem is the railroad unions. I’ll never forget asking a rail crew member for some milk for a small child five minutes before the workers shift was to begin. He waited five minutes until his shift began to get it. Or again the appalling site of a railroad worker taking a reading break in busy dining car. I understand that the worker was entitled to take a break but the service perception given to the public was just awful. They would have been far better off taking their break elsewhere

I ride Maryland’s commuter train to DC daily.  As ridership increases, so does lack of seats, ignorance of appropriate etiquette (not knowing how to embark/disembark efficiently, not using cell phones on quiet cars, not leting standees dismarbark first, etc.) which increases stress levels.  In time new riders will learn the rules and all will become smoother.  On the other hand, our conductors are great, and put up with too much from passengers because management won’t bar those who behave badly from the train even though the hit hit staff members, passengers, threten people, curse people out, etc.  As for the waiting a whole five minutes for milk or seeing a worker read in the dining car, was the server allowed to deliver milk when not on duty?  Was the reader researching something for work?  I know I have never seen one of our conductors take a break in eight years.

The issue is not what the unions will and will not allow but why. THAT the unions may have idiotic rules is a given but that they would give little thought to the perceptions that those rules might create is insane. In the case of the “reader” she had a right to take her break and read but she should have gone somewhere else to do it—that is just common sense. The milk thing is just preposterous and not worth arguing over.

I’m glad the workers on your train seem to show some common sense. The coast to coast crew may have a completely different set of directives.