What do ticket collectors do on MetroNorth/LIRR aside from collect tickets?

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Monthly, weekly, and 10 trip tickets aren't collected so the ridership count will always be low. I've seen traffic checkers at GCT count passengers with a counting device. They press a button and the counter advances by one.

 

What kind of crap is that? No wonder the trains are so crowded. I would buy a 10 trip too but why bother? The price is exactly the same whether I buy 10 tickets over the course of two weeks or whether I buy the 10 pack at one time. I don't use the LIRR or MetroNorth like that to even consider buying a weekly pass, though the thought has passed my mind, so I'll just keep buying them as I need them, though this week I've already used four tickets.

[FamousNYLover]

They should also be trained in intermodal connectivity to assist customers transferring to other modes. They should be equipped with CT bus maps and be knowledgeable about the Bee-line network and regional connecting services like danbury bus and ulster poughkeepsie link. Some dude in Brooklyn should NOT know more about buses in metro-north territory than MNRR employees. You know it's bad when people think I live in CT or even dutchess!!!!!!!!

 

If I was a conductor I will help customers with connections and inform them of connecting services bus lines should be announced automated style except when serving an area with too many lines like NYC stations obviously.

 

 

That's great if you know them. There is nothing provided to us with what they are. We are supposed to know connecting train service such as when the connection is to Danbury from the New Haven main line train.

 

We have enough to carry with us on a day to day basis. I doubt you will see one of us with every bus or ferry schedule that connects with any given train.

 

I agree with Truckie on this case.

I am regular rider of Metro-North and Long Island Railroad.

I heard that some LIRR conductors were not aware of LIB becoming privatized to NICE Bus.

Even some passengers doesn't know either.

Both Metro-North Railroad and Long Island Railroad does not make connecting announcement for respecting bus routes.

Even some Staten Island Railway operators do not make announcement rather than car announcement like which cars will open.

Even the ferry operators like Bridgeport-Port Jefferson Ferry doesn't make announcement for connecting train.

When I took first time, when ferry got close to Bridgeport, ferry announcement was only to their shuttle bus escourting to downtown Bridgeport, etc.

Staten Island Ferry also does not make subway or bus connection announcement.

Roosevelt Island Tramway is also same and never make announcement about subway, bus or RIOC Bus.

NJ Transit does do so at major stops i.e Newark Penn Station such as Path, Greyhound and Newark Light Rail.

 

Some Amtrak and New Jersey Transit makes announcement at Trenton, Newark, EWR, but not so much for buses.

 

It would be great until you get a complaint letter in your file about how you gave a passenger the wrong information and they got stuck somewhere because you didn't know about some bus G.O. that altered service that day.

 

I agreed with "tun."

 

MTA and other transit agencies are different companies.

For instant, if you're conductor working on New Haven Line and someone asked you how to get to Port Jefferson?You might suggest taking ferry across at Bridgeport Station, however what happens if that ferry was suspended due to inclement weather?

If s/he found out ferry was not working, s/he will be mad at you for getting him/her wrong information.

I think all transit and ferry agencies do not inform MTA Metro-North or MTA Long Island Railroad about their rerouted route or suspended ferries.

 

It not just train

I remember I was on northbound Q44 LTD heading to Bronx Zoo.

There was elderly lady with walker asking passenger, "Where I could catch 21 Bus?"

English-speaking Chinese lady thought she was talking about Long Island Bus, NICE Bus.

She got mis inform from passenger until she show me address, which was address in the Bronx.I could see she was upset because she got misinformed and she didn't even specific which #21 bus was it.

She was very upset and we went to NYPD officers.

I dip my MetroCard on next Q44 LTD for her after NYPD told her she got off at wrong stop because she didn't had enough fare.

I don't know what Casey Stengel Depot B/O driving that Q44 bus told her because male bus operator was in hurry and I didn't chance to explain to the driver she got off the wrong stop.

 

QTJ, this will occured if you give wrong information.

Non-MTA agencies will not inform MTA for change on the bus routes or elimated routes.

[LIRR 154]

 

 

Put them in an envelope, turn them in (at the end of each shift?) for the MTA to either audit or dispose of.

 

Uh this is not correct.

[LIRR 154]

 

 

Why would a MN crew operate over the Hell Gate line? The MN rule book is not applicable on the Hell Gate. MN Crews would have to learn Amtrak's rule book, NORAC. LIRR crews have to know NORAC rule book because of Penn Station.

 

Game day at the New Meadowlands stadium in Jersey. I could be mistaken but I think they use MN crews for football game trains into Penn.

[nostalgia]

Game day at the New Meadowlands stadium in Jersey. I could be mistaken but I think they use MN crews for football game trains into Penn.

 

 

Metro North Railroad – New Haven line:

For Sunday 1 p.m. Jets and Giants games, travel to MetLife Stadium without changing trains in Manhattan. A semi-express train will provide service from major stations on the New Haven Line directly to Secaucus Junction. The train will depart New Haven at 9:03 a.m., stop at Bridgeport, Fairfield, Westport, South Norwalk, Stamford, Greenwich, Rye, Larchmont, Penn Station and Secaucus Junction. From Secaucus, riders hop on an NJ Transit shuttle train for a short ride right to the Meadowlands.

The through-train from New Haven is timed to get people to the stadium about an hour and 15 minutes before kickoff. Fans who’d prefer to arrive earlier or later can take any regularly scheduled Metro North train to Grand Central Terminal. From there, ride the subway to Penn Station to use a joint Metro North/NJ Transit ticket to the Meadowlands to catch NJ Transit to the stadium.

 

HMMM. But I wonder if MN or NJT equipment is used. It would make sense for an Amtrak crew to operate the train the distance because it seems expensive to use a MN crew to Penn and an Amtrak or NJT crew for the 5 miles to Secaucus.

[Vistausss]

What kind of crap is that? No wonder the trains are so crowded. I would buy a 10 trip too but why bother? The price is exactly the same whether I buy 10 tickets over the course of two weeks or whether I buy the 10 pack at one time. I don't use the LIRR or MetroNorth like that to even consider buying a weekly pass, though the thought has passed my mind, so I'll just keep buying them as I need them, though this week I've already used four tickets.

 

 

Imagine you're home station is either a really crowded station or you don't have much time to reach your train (i.e. your bus got delayed, it's early in the morning, some family member got ill which you need to visit all of a sudden, etc.). It would be stressful to buy a ticket in such a case because you're in a hurry and don't wanna miss your train. Now thank LIRR for that 10 pack you bought the other day for such situations.

[Amtrak7]

What kind of crap is that? No wonder the trains are so crowded. I would buy a 10 trip too but why bother? The price is exactly the same whether I buy 10 tickets over the course of two weeks or whether I buy the 10 pack at one time. I don't use the LIRR or MetroNorth like that to even consider buying a weekly pass, though the thought has passed my mind, so I'll just keep buying them as I need them, though this week I've already used four tickets.

 

 

10 trip peaks are undiscounted. 10 trip off peaks are 15% off 10 off peaks.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Imagine you're home station is either a really crowded station or you don't have much time to reach your train (i.e. your bus got delayed, it's early in the morning, some family member got ill which you need to visit all of a sudden, etc.). It would be stressful to buy a ticket in such a case because you're in a hurry and don't wanna miss your train. Now thank LIRR for that 10 pack you bought the other day for such situations.

 

Well it's always stressful getting from the shuttle bus or taxi to the station on time and running downstairs to get the train, but the flip side of that is buying a 10 pack and then being forced to use them or lose the money, so I still prefer to buy as I go along. Even with the frantic situation I have yet to miss a train. Usually even if it's just one person they'll hold the train and make sure they get everyone before leaving the station. Losing say $7.50 vs $75.00 is a big difference. $7.50 can get me two double shot macchiatos from one of my Euro coffee spots, but $75.00 can get me a fancy lunch or dinner minus the tip of course. Hell with some places I go on Long Island a ten pack could be easily run over $100.00.

 

 

10 trip peaks are undiscounted. 10 trip off peaks are 15% off 10 off peaks.

 

Ah who cares about off peak... I always use the LIRR peak during periods unless I'm leaving Long Island late from some sort of dinner or networking event. Same thing with MetroNorth... Always during peak periods.

[Vistausss]

Okay, granted. But there are enough people who do fall under my explanation so for those people it's nifty to have the option of a 10 pack.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Okay, granted. But there are enough people who do fall under my explanation so for those people it's nifty to have the option of a 10 pack.

 

Oh sure... I can see the benefit of getting them and in fact quite a few people buy the 10 pack. I just think that a discount should be given across the board for buying that many tickets in advance.

[Truckie]

Truckie:

What line do you work?

 

Are crews instructed when to make these announcements?

 

 

I bounce between the Harlem and Hudson as seniority allows.

 

Crews usually do make the announcements with Croton Falls and Brewster only being 4 car platforms. Maybe it was in issue with the P/A not trainlining properly.

 

The question is.... What do they do with the tickets they collect?

 

 

Tickets collected are submitted and forwarded to the passenger revenue accounting department. They sit around until they end up in the circular file.

 

 

HMMM. But I wonder if MN or NJT equipment is used. It would make sense for an Amtrak crew to operate the train the distance because it seems expensive to use a MN crew to Penn and an Amtrak or NJT crew for the 5 miles to Secaucus.

 

 

Metro North crews are used with NJT equiptment. At NY Penn, the MNR crew gets off and NJT crew takes over.

 

Amtrak has nothing to do with the situation other then allowing the use of their section of track. The "take the train to the game" is a MNR project. It would probably cost more in the long run to use Amtrak crews. Then to have other train crews stop at our stations (or CDOT's stations) is another story.

 

 

 

Ah who cares about off peak...

 

 

The people that travel off peak do as there are plenty of off peak commuters. You have to do what's best for you as everyone's travel habits are different.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

The people that travel off peak do as there are plenty of off peak commuters. You have to do what's best for you as everyone's travel habits are different.

 

Well of course they do, but if you only use it during peak hours that discount doesn't do anything for you. That's my point.

 

I bounce between the Harlem and Hudson as seniority allows.

 

Aren't you lucky... Which do you prefer more... The Harlem line or the Hudson line and which seems more "swank" if you will? The Hudson line seems well to do up to the Spuyten Duyvil stop anyway...

[nostalgia]

Truckie:

What is your home terminal? How much time do you have after you arrive the end of the line for your flip trip?

[Truckie]

Home terminal this week is NWP, next week I won't know until Sunday unless I get bumped before then. With low seniority there is no consistency.

 

Generally there's about a half hour turn around time. Realistically that give me 15 minutes to get from one train to the next.

[Vistausss]

Oh sure... I can see the benefit of getting them and in fact quite a few people buy the 10 pack. I just think that a discount should be given across the board for buying that many tickets in advance.

 

But that is already half the case :/ You'll get 15% off of the 10 pack price when buying it for off-peak use. For peak use you get no discount.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

But that is already half the case :/ You'll get 15% off of the 10 pack price when buying it for off-peak use. For peak use you get no discount.

Correct... Just would be nice if they offered something for buying a 10 pack for peak use too.

[trainfan22]

At terminals like Southeast, where the train back up from the yard into the station, does the Conductor operate the train, or the engineer is operating but the C/R is telling the engineer what's ahead over the radio or something?

[Truckie]

But that is already half the case :/ You'll get 15% off of the 10 pack price when buying it for off-peak use. For peak use you get no discount.

 

I understand what you are saying. For the occasional peak rider there is no discount. Even seniors or disabled riders don't get their discount. This is the reason that there is the weekly or monthly commutation pass. Those will get you the discount over one way or ten trip tickets.

 

At terminals like Southeast, where the train back up from the yard into the station, does the Conductor operate the train, or the engineer is operating but the C/R is telling the engineer what's ahead over the radio or something?

 

The conductor does not operate the train but as you said he has to relay everything to the engineer over the intercom or radio. The conductor is required to relay signals, whether or not switches are lined, car counts to a stop, etc. By doing this it saves time from the engineer having to change ends at the platform and go through another round of tests.

[nostalgia]

Home terminal this week is NWP, next week I won't know until Sunday unless I get bumped before then. With low seniority there is no consistency.

 

Generally there's about a half hour turn around time. Realistically that give me 15 minutes to get from one train to the next.

 

 

Why would the home terminal change every week? Isn't a job pick valid for the length of time the timetable is effective? Or are their high seniority conductors who are filing after the deadline? If "yes" wouldn't their seniority only extend to jobs not picked and filled by the extra board?

[CDTA]

Why would the home terminal change every week? Isn't a job pick valid for the length of time the timetable is effective? Or are their high seniority conductors who are filing after the deadline? If "yes" wouldn't their seniority only extend to jobs not picked and filled by the extra board?

 

 

Railroad picks only last a week.

[nostalgia]

Railroad picks only last a week.

 

 

That must cause incredible stress and frustration. Amtrak's job picks last the length of the timetable, which is about six months. Does the same apply to LIRR?

[CDTA]

That must cause incredible stress and frustration. Amtrak's job picks last the length of the timetable, which is about six months. Does the same apply to LIRR?

 

 

Yeah, i'm pretty sure, but don't quote me on it.

[Truckie]

Our job picks, in theory, last the length of the time table also. The problem is over time jobs get abolished or people that are long term sick or on a leave of absence (ie military duty) come back to work, they exercise their seniority rights and bump someone junior to them. Then it creates a giant domino effect.

 

Example of the above is in another month or so waterworld will be done for the season so those two conductors and two brakemen jobs (engineers also but that's a different craft and roster) will be abolished and those folks will have to bump someone under them. Then those people have to bump someone under them and so on.

 

The jobs that only last a week are when someone is on a hold down. Some one that got bumped could put a hold down on a job up for bid. Who every bid the job with the highest seniority gets awarded the job. If no one bids it then who ever has a hold down on it gets awarded the job.

 

Jobs that are up for bid are either newly created jobs or when someone gets awarded a job their previous job goes up for bid.

[qjtransitmaster]

Our job picks, in theory, last the length of the time table also. The problem is over time jobs get abolished or people that are long term sick or on a leave of absence (ie military duty) come back to work, they exercise their seniority rights and bump someone junior to them. Then it creates a giant domino effect.

 

Example of the above is in another month or so waterworld will be done for the season so those two conductors and two brakemen jobs (engineers also but that's a different craft and roster) will be abolished and those folks will have to bump someone under them. Then those people have to bump someone under them and so on.

 

The jobs that only last a week are when someone is on a hold down. Some one that got bumped could put a hold down on a job up for bid. Who every bid the job with the highest seniority gets awarded the job. If no one bids it then who ever has a hold down on it gets awarded the job.

 

Jobs that are up for bid are either newly created jobs or when someone gets awarded a job their previous job goes up for bid.

 

Is this why it's so expensive to operate LIRR?

[checkmatechamp13]

Imagine you're home station is either a really crowded station or you don't have much time to reach your train (i.e. your bus got delayed, it's early in the morning, some family member got ill which you need to visit all of a sudden, etc.). It would be stressful to buy a ticket in such a case because you're in a hurry and don't wanna miss your train. Now thank LIRR for that 10 pack you bought the other day for such situations.

 

 

Just throwing it out there, but you could always just buy 1 or 2 tickets in advance rather than a full 10 pack. If you think you're only going to use the LIRR/MNRR once a week or so, you just keep those tickets in your wallet or something, and then you have them when you need them. And then when you use that ticket, you just buy another one (for future use) the next time you happen to be passing by that station or whatever.