It's 267 kms, journey times range a little, but 3 1/4 hrs is the norm.
> What, then,
> does the conductor do on these trains? Is there an orchestra on board > > or is it in case of lightning strikes.
Specific Accountabilities:
- Maintain a high standard of personal appeaarance, project a
professional image at all times - absolutely crucial. For many (most?)
of our passengers, the only WCR employee encountered is the train
Conductor.
- Provide assistance, information, security and service to passengers,
while boarding, travelling and alighting
- Patrol trains to maintain high personal presence
- Make PA announcements as required
- Compile records of passengers travelling
- Deal with unruly passengers, and if required, arrange for their
removal from the trian
- Prevent damage to rail property
- Be responsible for cash and tickets
- Ensure every passenger has an appropriate ticket or authority to
travel
- Ensure correct operation of train facilities (air con, lights, p.a.
etc, and report faulty equipment as required)
- Maintain carriages in a clean and fully equipped state
- Carriage cleaning
- Handle parcels traffic
- Handle passenger luggage
- Provide assistance to Catering Attendant as required
- Implement emergency procedures as required
An average day on the job? For my most regular shift 8217/46
- arrive at Geelong office, prepare end-to-end radio, mobile phone,
float, details of parcels to be loaded, and any correspondence (corres).
- when 8217 arrives, load/unload parcels, consult with changeover Conny
- parcels, luggage, passengers requiring assistance etc, make
announcement (people get on the wrong train anyway), conduct radio check
with driver, depart the train, note departure time.
- post departure announcement, (basically "Good Afternoon, could all
passengers please have rail tickets and concession cards ready for
inspection), walk forward through the train, counting heads, closing
doors, checking car electricals are working correctly, noting consist,
make sure my Catering Attendant heard my p.a. (check it works), note
loco.
- ticket check walking through the train from loco to van.
- arrive Winchelsea (p.a. announcement on approach), ensure passengers
alight safely, give assistance where required, handle parcels, corres,
luggage as required. Depart the train, note times, then again walk
through train closing doors etc, check tickets on return.
- ditto Birregurra, Colac, Camperdown, Terang.
- after checking Terang tickets, complete a 'bin run' through the train
(carry through a rubbish bag collecting passengers rubbish). Complete
tally sheet, including all times and journey details.
- arrive WMB, assist passengers off, clean and stock train, turn seats,
load luggage etc
- depart WMB and do the same again all the way back to Melbourne. On
the up you have to see most tickets, only WMB, Winchelsea, Geelong and
Corio are manned. And along the way you must ensure passengers are not
disrupting others, being unruly, smoking, drinking, placing shoes on
seats (the most common one), and not vandalising the train.
- at MSS, assist passengers, collect and submit lost property, collect
tail lights (when required), shut down carriages, shut down powervan,
complete tally sheet, complete ticket return, lock the train.
WCR Conductors are responsible for the timekeeping of the train - we
must note all times, and must not depart trains prior to the advertised
time.
On occasions the Conductor must give First Aid to ill/injured passengers
(Conductors hold Level 2 First Aid), and arrange for ill passengers to
be appropriately assisted.
I'm sure there's things I've neglected to mention - in short, you do
whatever needs doing. No two days are the same. When you deal with the
public, every situation is different, and you've got to be able to
handle it. It's not easy. I thought 4 years of uni was tough - that's
nothing compared to assisting an ill passenger, or dealing with
passengers who are irate becuase of delays totally out of your control.
You have to be able to soak up a fair bit of often misdirected abuse.
One of the first pieces of advice from a colleage was "Don't take
anything personally".
You must be able to work with public - more than anything else, this
requires a bulletproof sense of humour.
An orchestra would be nice, but we can do without lightening strikes
Barry, there's already more than enough to do.
Regards,
Craig.
-- Craig Haber albatross@harnessnet.com.au Manufacturing Systems Engineer (almost) Web Page Designer, Harness Racing, Railways, and Essendon Football Club fanatic http://www.harnessnet.com.au/