When Keolis Rail Services took over operation of Virginia Railway Express (VRE) commuter trains from Amtrak, Monday, July 12, conductors and assistant conductors were protected under an agreement negotiated July 9 by the UTU International President's Office.
Earlier this month, Keolis agreed to recognize the UTU as the exclusive bargaining agent for conductors and assistant conductors employed by Keolis in VRE operations. VRE commuter trains operate between Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C.
Details of the agreement are being communicated to the affected conductors and assistant conductors. The contract includes a wage increase.
The agreement will be administered by General Committee of Adjustment 769, under the leadership of General Chairperson Roger Lenfest.
VRE signed a five-year, $85-million contract in 2009 with Keolis to replace Amtrak as VRE's operator of commuter trains between Northern Virginia suburbs and Washington, D.C. Amtrak has operated the service over host CSX and Norfolk Southern tracks for some 17 years since VRE's creation as a commuter railroad.
According to news reports, all but one Amtrak employee working VRE trains chose to remain with Amtrak, forcing Keolis to hire and train new conductors, assistant conductors and engineers for the VRE operation. Keolis said the new conductors are veterans of freight and other rail passenger operations in the U.S.
This is Keolis' first venture into U.S. rail contract operations, although Keolis transports some two billion bus and rail passengers annually in 13 countries, mostly in Europe.
Keolis also has recognized the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen as the exclusive bargaining representative for the craft of engineer. The BLET has not announced whether it has reached an agreement with Keolis covering the locomotive engineers.
(The Associated Press circulated the following on July 18, 2010.)
ALEXANDRIA, Va. Eight Amtrak trains will no longer be available to Virginia Railway Express passengers as the commuter rail line tweaks its schedule.
VRE also is adding a new express train on the Fredericksburg line. The changes begin Monday.
On VRE's Manassas line, Amtrak trains 19, 20, 50 and 51 will no longer be available to VRE passengers. On the Fredericksburg line, Amtrak trains 66, 67, 79 and 80 will no longer be available. Other Amtrak trains will still be available to VRE.
A state-funded intercity Amtrak train is being added Tuesday as train 174 in the morning and train 125 at night.
VRE spokesman Mark Roeber says the Amtrak trains are being taken out of the schedule because they carried few VRE passengers.
(The following story by Kytja Weir appeared on The Examiner website on July 20, 2010.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. The new express train on Virginia Railway Express did not deliver the express ride it promised eager commuters on its inaugural run Monday morning, arriving instead about an hour late and packed.
The train that shuttles commuters from Fredericksburg to D.C.'s Union Station was supposed to deliver riders about 20 minutes quicker than regular trains, making it comparable or faster than driving a car, agency officials had pledged.
But the 5:05 a.m. train ran into signal and switch problems on the CSX tracks, forcing it to slow down along a 10-mile section of the trip. It also was so crowded that some riders could not get on -- and those who did faced standing-room only by the second stop.
"I would say that our new train 300 was successful beyond our expectations," said VRE Chairman Paul Milde, who was among those riding the train. "Unfortunately, our inauguration was somewhat less rosy than it could have been."
It was the latest challenge for the train service, which depends on getting its riders to their jobs on time -- or faces losing them. Ridership has been growing, reaching more than 17,000 on the two lines, after dropping several years ago following a string of problems.
But the summer heat wave is causing delays as trains are forced to slow down to avoid heat-kinking tracks.
The switch from Amtrak to operating contractor Keolis also ran into problems, forcing VRE officials to extend Amtrak service for two weeks. Last week, the first under the French-owned company, had some hiccups, according to riders.
Neither Keolis nor VRE was directly to blame for Monday's delay. Other trains on those tracks also were delayed by the signal problem.
The issues on the express train began early with the track signal problems. But the three-car train's 425 seats were full by the second stop, with some 100 people left standing, Milde said. Others opted to take a later train.
VRE now plans to run a four-car train Tuesday. The agency plans to monitor upcoming morning ridership.
One solace for express train riders: Those who made it onto the packed express train Monday received free ride vouchers because of the delay.
Virginia Railway Express will add another car Tuesday to its new morning express train to accommodate the influx of riders, VRE officials told the Washington Post.
The train, which leaves Fredericksburg at 5:05 a.m., maxed out at Leeland Road Station on Monday, forcing about 100 riders who later boarded the train to stand. The three-car train has about 425 seats, said VRE Operations Board Chairman Paul Milde, who rode the express Monday.
"Clearly, this idea was a good and popular one," Milde said. "The worst thing that could have happened would [have been] if it was underutilized, a financial drain and an inefficient use of our resources. We can work with this."
VRE officials said that on Tuesday, they will trade four-car Train 312, which leaves at 7:40 a.m., with the express train to provide additional seats.
