Metra’s newest assistant conductor class celebrated its graduation on Feb 10, 2023. Each of the graduates has a unique story of success and perseverance. They are great representatives of Metra’s values, opportunities, and diversity. Among the graduates are three women and 13 men whose ages range from 18 to 55, proving that you are never too young or too old to try something new.
Metra's Assistant Conductor Class is taught by a dedicated group of individuals who understand the rules and demands of the job. The program consists of a 14-week training session that is broken into three parts.
The first phase is spent in the classroom. This is where recruits learn all about passenger rail operations—from how to log hours of service to railroad vocabulary to effective technical communication to ticket sales. The second and third phases are composed of nine weeks of on-the-job training where candidates are assigned various jobs to help them become familiar with each line, safety rules, and rail yards.
Collin D. Uyttebroeck, one of the graduates, likes the way the course is divided into both classroom and field work. “The classroom portion does a good job of giving us the fundamentals needed to perform our tasks,“ he said. “However, the field training is where we are able to put everything into action.”
Working as a conductor is not as easy as it may appear. It is not a 9-to-5, Monday-through-Friday job. Conductors must be able to work outside, exposed to all weather conditions including heat,
rain, ice, snow and cold. The job also requires the ability to stay focused and help riders travel safely to and from their destination.
Operation trainer Fabian Ochoa says it takes a certain kind of person to make the ideal conductor. “The perfect candidate has the ability to multitask and knows how to do a lot of things safely, at the same time,” he said.
With new Metra employees like this graduating class, we are confident we will continue to provide our customers with safe, reliable, efficient, and affordable service.