Subway conductor?

[Spectre of Pithecanthropus]

A few minutes ago I heard a story on the radio about the NYC transit labor dispute, and they intervied a subway conductor. What would a subway conductor do, and why is s/he needed?

Most people think of the conductor as the person who takes your ticket on an intercity train, but I never imagined that this is done on a subway. Most people probably don't know that a conductor is the highest ranking employee on a moving train, and supervises the engineer, brakemen, and other staff.

So how do NYC subway conductors fit into this scheme?

[stuyguy]

The conductor rides in the middle of the train and opens and closes the doors at each stop. He announces stops if it is not done with an automated PA system. And, yes, he outranks the motorman who "drives" the subway train.

~ stuyguy, the native NYCer

[Scruff]

And, yes, he outranks the motorman who "drives" the subway train.

Really? I always figured the driver/engineer/motorman was analogous to the "captain", and was in overall charge of the train.

Heck, you learn something new every day.

[stuyguy]

Yup, the conductor, not the motorman, is in charge.

(IIRC, this point is apparent in the movie "The Taking of Pelham 123." Somewhere in the flick the transit HQ guys or the trainjackers or the conductor himself make it clear that the conductor is "in charge of the train.")

[friedo]

It should be noted that The Taking of Pelham 123 gets nearly every technical detail wrong, except that one.

[Spectre of Pithecanthropus]

I wonder if that's the case in other rail mass transit systems. We don't have them in L.A., there's just one operator driving the train. Members of various law enforcement agencies will come aboard at random and check for tickets, but otherwise there's nobody aboard except the one driver and the passengers.

[OxyMoron]

Part of the reason NYC has them is because many stations are (a) vast and (b) curved, which means that the end of the train may not be visible from the front. That's a safety issue. Arguably, you could get around it by using cameras, and in some stations the curvature is so significant (14th street on the Lex) that even the conductor has to rely on a TV monitor.

The other safety advantage is crime prevention.

There have been various OPTO (One Person Train Operation) proposals over the years, but the Immovable Object would be the union since it would eliminate a lot of jobs.

[friedo]

OxyMoron - there's actually already some OPTO lines in NYC. Read about them here. OPTO trains have to be short, less than 300 feet, or a conductor is required.

[World Eater]

The G and the 42nd St shuttle I do believe.

[OxyMoron]

You're quite right, I oversimplified - my (amended) point is that there have been proposals to extend OPTO beyond its current 300' limits. (And now that you mention it, I think they use OPTO on all of the shuttles, including the Rockaway, Franklin Ave., etc.)

[rowrrbazzle]

Chicago Transit Authority has OPTO except during rush hour, when they run longer trains.

[TheLoadedDog]

Originally posted by javaman
I wonder if that's the case in other rail mass transit systems. We don't have them in L.A., there's just one operator driving the train. Members of various law enforcement agencies will come aboard at random and check for tickets, but otherwise there's nobody aboard except the one driver and the passengers.

Yes. I was a bit confused by the terminology at first, as in Australia, a conductor is a bus or tram (not train) employee who sells the tickets on board (they no longer have conductors). A ticket inspector is the random guy who gets on and asks to see your ticket, and the guard is the guy with which this thread is concerned.

We also have two security officers on each train at night.

Sydney CityRail guards open and close the doors, make announcements, and signal to the driver that the train is ready to proceed. The guard IS SENIOR TO the driver. It is the guard's train, and he or she will have overall responsibility for it.

[friedo]

Originally posted by OxyMoron
You're quite right, I oversimplified - my (amended) point is that there have been proposals to extend OPTO beyond its current 300' limits. (And now that you mention it, I think they use OPTO on all of the shuttles, including the Rockaway, Franklin Ave., etc.)

In that case, even in addition to dealing with the unions, the MTA would have to install video monitors in every station set up for the motorman. Even in the straight stations it's very very difficult to see all the way back to the end of the train from the front, in order to check the doors. 'Twould be a PITA, but might save money in the long run.

[friedo]

Originally posted by OxyMoron
You're quite right, I oversimplified - my (amended) point is that there have been proposals to extend OPTO beyond its current 300' limits. (And now that you mention it, I think they use OPTO on all of the shuttles, including the Rockaway, Franklin Ave., etc.)

In that case, even in addition to dealing with the unions, the MTA would have to install video monitors in every station set up for the motorman. Even in the straight stations it's very very difficult to see all the way back to the end of a 600 foot train from the front, in order to check the doors. 'Twould be a PITA, but might save money in the long run.

[friedo]

Originally posted by TheLoadedDog
[b]Yes. I was a bit confused by the terminology at first, as in Australia, a conductor is a bus or tram (not train) employee who sells the tickets on board (they no longer have conductors).

FWIW, on the commuter rail lines around here, that's what the conductor does. But there's no tickets on the subways, just a single-zone fair to enter the station.