Amtrak Training: Improvements Needed for Employees Who Inspect and Maintain Rail Equipment
RCED-93-68
Published: Dec 08, 1992. Publicly Released: Dec 10, 1992.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO evaluated Amtrak's training programs for new locomotive engineers, assistant conductors, signal maintainers, and mechanics (carmen) and foremen in the Amtrak Mechanical Department.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| National Railroad Passenger Corporation | The President, Amtrak, should direct the Vice President for Engineering and the Director of the Human Resources Division to: (1) assess the signal maintainer training program to determine what mix of training is needed; (2) determine what resources are needed to provide the training; and (3) establish controls and time frames to ensure that all signal maintainers receive this training. |
Amtrak's Communication and Signal Training Advisory Committee has completed its evaluation of all existing C&S training, issuing course updates that ensure that necessary skills are being taught. It is now developing a new advanced C&S training course. Amtrak determined that it would need an additional $310,000 to provide the training to all eligible employees. A training schedule was established in 1993. Over 90 percent of employees have Part 3 training, nearly 80 percent have completed Part 4 training, and all training will be complete by December 1994.
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| National Railroad Passenger Corporation | To close the gaps in training for carmen and mechanical foremen, the President, Amtrak, should direct the Vice President for Engineering, the Chief Mechanical Officer, and the Director of the Human Resources Division to cooperate to identify which basic carman skills are needed throughout Amtrak's divisions, assess the current set-up training programs to determine how those needs are being met, and develop a single set-up training program that ensure that all carmen possess the knowledge and skills necessary to do the job. |
Amtrak has completed its review of training needs for setup carmen and developed course materials for 23 training modules requiring 15 to 20 days of classroom training. Each module includes a written test. Amtrak has 100 carmen in various divisions that have competed the training. In addition, Amtrak has hired a consultant to evaluate skills needed for Amtrak's 3 other mechanical crafts. This effort will be completed in September 1994.
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| National Railroad Passenger Corporation | To close the gaps in training for carmen and mechanical foremen, the President, Amtrak, should direct the Vice President for Engineering, the Chief Mechanical Officer, and the Director of the Human Resources Division to cooperate to develop and provide training to ensure that all mechanical foremen possess at least minimal technical skill in safety sensitive tasks performed by the four crafts they supervise. |
Amtrak has reviewed its mechanical foreman training and developed a new training course to ensure foremen have adequate knowledge of the crafts they supervise. A pilot of the 120-hour program was given to 15 foremen at Beech Grove, completed August 26, 1994. All Amtrak foremen and general foremen will receive this training no later than 1998.
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| National Railroad Passenger Corporation | As part of the effort to identify training needs and establish training programs, Amtrak officials should determine what costs would be associated with the training. If adequate funding is not available within Amtrak, requests for such funding should be included in Amtrak's next budget request to Congress. |
Amtrak made some preliminary estimates of the costs involved in developing a comprehensive training program. However, due to its desperate financial situation and its major service and personnel reductions, its attention has been focused on how to sustain operations.
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Topics
Employee trainingRailroad employeesRailroad engineeringRailroad safetyStudentsEngineersRailOn-the-job trainingRailroad industryTraining programs