Let’s get to know some of the incredible conductors happily on their Amtrak trains and what they consider to be the best parts of the job.
“For me, the railroad wasn’t in my family, and it wasn’t something I grew up exposed to, so this comes as a completely new thing for me. So I was beyond scared my first day, but coming in and seeing everyone—especially at our crew base—having everyone be fantastic and welcoming and everything like that, it just put a lot of those fears away.”
“I think it’s the best seeing kids’ reactions when they think you have the coolest job in the world. There was one kid whose parents took him from station to station just so he could ride the train, and his mom told me he’d been waiting all week for this train ride. So I got down on my knees and put the conductor hat on top of his head, handed him some seat checks and told him ‘you’re the assistant conductor now; you’re going to help me do my job,’ and seeing his eyes light up and the look on his face made me really happy.”
“I was happy that my family was able to purchase tickets for the train I was working. They got to experience firsthand the beautiful trip down the Hudson River to New York City with me as their assistant conductor. We grabbed some lunch at Moynihan Train Hall during my layover and then reboarded for the trip back to Albany. I was so happy that I was able to fulfill my promise to my grandparents that I’d have them on one of my trains to NYC. They’re the reason why I became interested in trains when I was a kid, from model trains under the tree to train rides to Manhattan for the weekend.”
“Of all the jobs I’ve had, this is probably the best one. As time goes on and my career continues to grow, every day is a learning experience for me. I come in willing to learn every day because each day is a new start and every day is different.”
