Two2Go

Two totally separate railroads. It was just a coincidence that they both had AC orientation on the same day.

They go through the material, showing you the different signal aspects and the definitions, and they will discuss some different methods for trying to memorize it all. There isn't really much they can "teach", though -- you just have to learn it all word-for-word verbatim; understanding it isn't necessary at this point.

A lot of people show up dressed very casually. No one will say anything, but it's absolutely a bad idea. They WILL remember who didn't dress up enough. A suit is probably overkill, but definitely khakis and a button down dress shirt at the minimum. Sneakers are forbidden on LIRR property at all times.

Did you attend an S&D overview class for any position in the last 12 months? If so, what happened when you took the test associated with that overview class? If you passed the test, your passing score should apply for this job application as well.

You should definitely read through the previous thread on the LIRR AC position, it's full of good information (see link below). But, to answer your question, the open house is the first step in a lengthy process. You'll be in a large room with other applicants, potentially over 100 of you at once. A few transportation managers and/or superintendents, along with HR reps, will be present. They will briefly describe what the job is like, and they will tell some stories that may discourage some people from continuing (how awful the hours are, how little vacation time there is at first, how horrible the passengers can be, etc). They will answer whatever questions people may have, and then they will begin the tests. First test you will take is a Cognitive test, like an IQ test basically. It's multiple timed sections. When time is up on one section, you cannot go back to it again. The idea is to get as many questions right as possible without guessing; it's tough/impossible to finish all the questions, so don't try to. There's no way to study or prepare for this kind of test, all the questions are based on material that is present on the test (articles to read, flow charts to interpret, etc). Approximately half the people in the room will fail the Cognitive test. Those that pass will be given a simple math (addition, subtraction, multiplication) test and a simple vocabulary (multiple choice, pick the synonym) test. Almost no one fails these. Assuming you pass both of those tests, you will be interviewed. It's a short interview where the interviewer is really just checking off a checklist to make sure that your resume/background meet the job requirements. It's possible that the person interviewing you has no idea about the job or the hiring process, they are just there helping fill out the checklists. After that, your day is over. A few days, weeks or months later, you will (hopefully) be contacted to continue the process with a Signals and Definitions overview class, which is roughly 4-6 hours long. Five weeks after that class, you are brought back in for the Signals & Definitions exam. If you can pass that exam, you are basically guaranteed to be hired, assuming you don't completely bomb the second interview (it happens right after the S&D test), and assuming you can pass the physical exam & the background check.

The people that passed in March 2019 are just getting invited now for a January class. You'll probably start before June.

The HR people are going to tell you that you need steel toe boots but in reality that's not true for our department. You just need black leather shoes that lace up with metal eyelets and have a defined heel not exceeding one inch. If you prefer boots, by all means go for it. I personally find working the train in boots to be uncomfortable, so I only wear my boots if it's snowing. Otherwise I wear these, an oxford shoe by Red Wing. Expensive but very comfortable and lasts way longer than the other junk I bought when I first got hired.

Those restrictions are exactly the point. It's why they don't automatically sell everyone an Atlantic Ticket. If you were buying a one-way ticket from Jamaica to Atlantic Terminal and were planning on using it tomorrow, or two weeks from now, and found out they sold you a cheaper ticket that expired on the day of purchase, you'd be beyond furious. It's better to give people a choice between the two options than force them into an option that doesn't work for them. If you're arguing to get rid of the Atlantic Ticket and just lower the price of peak and off-peak tickets to $5, then that's an entirely different conversation. If and when they get rid of cash, we will still be able to accept credit cards to pay step ups, extend tickets, etc.

The Atlantic Ticket is valid only on the day of purchase; the regular one-way and round-trip tickets (peak or off-peak) are valid for 60 days. Regular tickets can also be extended to other zones (by paying the difference in price); Atlantic Tickets cannot be extended and their dollar value cannot be extended to a different ticket, nor can they be used for trips to/from Penn Station. It's sort of like how the airlines sell more expensive tickets with very flexible fare rules (fully refundable, changeable, etc) and cheaper tickets that have huge penalties for canceling or making changes.

No offense man, but you're not gonna get a lot of sympathy from anyone here. We all did it, which is proof that 5 weeks is enough time if you plan it out properly. There's currently over 1400 conductors and assistant conductors on the roster, they all did it. I think the engineers only get 3 weeks to learn the same material? Be happy you have those extra two weeks.

The one you make yourself. Don't trust any others...plenty of definitions and signals have changed over the years, who knows what's correct.

Honestly, I wouldn't expect to get a free ride to Babylon with an e-mail about an open house. Before I was hired, any time I had to go to Hillside I bought a ticket from my home station to Jamaica, and then from Jamaica to Hillside it's free. I'm a conductor, and if someone showed me a letter about an Open House, I'd still expect a ticket out of them (except to Hillside, since you can't buy a ticket to that station). Maybe some conductors will let it slide, but some definitely won't.

I highly doubt they'd make any exceptions. The whole idea is that once you go to the overview, you are "locked into" the test date 5 weeks later. They only want you having 5 weeks to study for the test. If you had more time, you'd have an easier time passing the test, but that doesn't show them that you have the ability to study and pass the qualifying exams in a couple years (which is the whole point of making you learn the S&D's in 5 weeks).

There's no way this guy is qualifying.

This is the kind of job and environment where teamwork is really important. Being able to work well with others and communicate is essential to both your safety and your success. Based on the way you talk about your coworkers and talk to people on here, I don't think you are going to have a very long or enjoyable time on the railroad.

I only included a resume, no cover letter. You want to make sure your resume emphasizes your previous customer service experience and cash handling experience. Being current NYCT might actually not be a positive in the eyes of the railroad...I honestly don't know a single conductor who previously worked for transit. I know of one conductor that was previously a bus driver for MTA.

Should be the same passing requirements, yes. 100% on aspects and at least 80% on indications & definitions. You absolutely need to shoot for 100% to have a shot at passing.

Just guessing, but they might feel they have enough manpower for the summer. They have done a lot of hiring recently, the roster is bigger than it's ever been.

Typically September. Just curious, when did you get the call? When did you take S&D? Had you originally been offered the April class?

My friend that passed on March 13 (last Wed.) asked about future class dates and was told that nothing is scheduled right now. Until they decide to schedule additional classes, you won't hear anything from them. I would suggest looking over your signals & definitions once or twice a week just to keep them fresh, but don't start the other packet until you know you're getting hired. Definitely have everything they've given you memorized 100% verbatim by the first day of class.

Mikey, I feel bad that you're not enjoying the job so far. Fortunately, the job isn't anything like being in class. Life sucks right now, but it gets a lot better once you start working the trains, and even better once you've got a little seniority and can start working some decent shifts. In a few years you'll be qualified and making some serious money, which is what we're all here for, right? I feel bad for your classmates that had a great opportunity and lost it, probably forever. If you are feeling bored in class, maybe don't study quite so much at home and utilize your class time more efficiently. I'm just curious, do you have any previous college experience? I found A/C class to be comparable to a very difficult college level course. Full-time college students typically take 5 moderately difficult courses each semester. A friend of mine actually was one of the 8 that passed S&D's this past Wednesday, I am absolutely encouraging him to take the job.

Honestly not sure what the employment process looks like for a block operator. Rule G does apply to them, though.

I honestly haven't met anyone that felt like they aced the interview. First part of the interview is they're going to have you read Rule G out loud to them, and then they're going to take away the paper and ask you questions about the rule to see how much you remember. Rule G is the rule that talks about drugs and alcohol usage. After that they'll ask you a bunch of scenario-based questions. For example: "You are collecting on a train from Penn Station to Ronkonkoma and the Ranger game just let out at MSG. You see a rowdy group of passengers in your car, how do you handle them?" Or: "You are collecting tickets after Jamaica and a passenger tells you that she saw a man leave a large suitcase in the vestibule and get off the train at Jamaica. What would you do next?" It's all stuff that you haven't been trained on yet, they are just trying to see what your initial reaction would be without them training you on it. If you get it "wrong", they're going to keep rephrasing the question in order to nudge you in the right direction. I've never seen anyone post on here that they passed S&D's but didn't get hired because of the interview.

My gut tells me that this hiring freeze will magically go away as soon as the MTA board votes on the next fare hike. There's a lot of belt tightening right now because the MTA is "broke"...until they get the fare hike they want, and then it'll go back to business as usual.

Yeah, there is parking in the yard. Almost every east-end terminal has some sort of employee parking. The big exceptions are West Hempstead and Babylon Station (there's plenty of parking in Babylon Yard, but very little employee parking at the station. If you're a ticket collector reporting to Babylon Station, arrive early and be prepared that you may need to pay for parking in a private lot). West Hempstead does have a small public parking lot which employees park in if they can nab a spot, but there's also a shopping center across the street that I've heard employees use. Jamaica Station does have some employee parking, but it's very limited and hard to get. Generally it's only reliable if you're reporting late at night or on a weekend. Jamaica Storage Yard (on the other side of the Van Wyck from Jamaica Station) does have a little bit of parking, and the adjacent Morris Park Yard (walkable to the Storage Yard) has plenty of parking. Atlantic Terminal used to have parking in the nearby VD Yard but they got rid of it, so now you're stuck finding street parking if you have to drive there. Penn Station obviously has no parking available but the nearby West Side Yard actually does. It's not a ton of spots, but they're there. Plus they have some sort of arrangement with a newly opened parking garage in Hudson Yards (the development being built over WSY), I don't know exactly how it works but there's something like 25 or 30 spots that we can use in there.