RailRoadFan.com

NS has put operating crews on notice that there needs to be a better showing then there is now on crews manning trains. A lot of trains are short crews as people take personal days along with their mandatory 2 rest days between runs. This is causing a ripple effect on operating efficiency and they are now telling crew members no vacation time may be used in July or August. It comes with the territory and always has but Precision Scheduled Railroading only magnifies the issue.

YUP. It's their own fault. You can keep beating a dead horse, well you know the rest

AFAIK the mandatory rest period is 10 hours after getting off duty. There are normally restrictions on consecutive starts but I had never heard of a mandatory 2 day rest.

Ypsi wrote:AFAIK the mandatory rest period is 10 hours after getting off duty. There are normally restrictions on consecutive starts but I had never heard of a mandatory 2 day rest.

If you have 6 consecutive starts in a row, you have a federally mandated 48 hours off. If you get 7 consecutive starts, you get 72 hours.

One of the mandates of Precision Scheduled Railroading is FEWER CREWS, MORE STARTS. Longer Trains is only part of it. Work em till they drop then don't let em take time off. If there wasn't FEDERALLY MANDATED time off they would be calling you on 6 hours rest for 8 hours off duty like they used to. (AKA 6 for 8 ) Do that a few times and you're begging for a good nights sleep.
One of the parts of the AGREEMENT is manning of extra boards to ALLOW time off. Not what they are doing anymore, its work work work and collect your paycheck and come back into work.
One reason I went into the yard....and one reason I am glad I am no longer there.

WELL those days are GONE. 8 hours work and rest starts when you mark off. The most you can get in a row is 6 then 48 hours off. never heard of 7 starts W/O proper rest. But a day off starts the whole process over. They have combined the road and yard boards ( & no one is happy ! ) Chit storms a coming ! Only thing now is to stand by for casualties.

The only way you can get 7 starts is if they send you out of town on your 6th and your trip home is your 7th. Doesn’t happen often but it happened to me more than once.