GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[Fritter]

Hindsight is always 20/20, but I wonder if someone is kicking themselves for laying off crews during the hight of the pandemic.

 

[Bojaxs]

Hindsight is always 20/20, but I wonder if someone is kicking themselves for laying off crews during the hight of the pandemic.

I imagine they would have been called back by now.

 

[turbanplanner]

Hindsight is always 20/20, but I wonder if someone is kicking themselves for laying off crews during the hight of the pandemic.

Not totally related but because Nav Canada fired all the trainees and paused hiring, YYZ is facing 3 hour delays some days due to a shorter of rested ATC people, YTZ has zeeeeero controllers in a few days ago!

 

[sixrings]

All this hope for additional service but the unfortunate reality is that Alstom does not appear to have a sufficient number of crews to fulfill these wishes. Although they have been aggressively hiring CSA’s (I’ve heard over 100 since the start of the year), I’m told that head-end training has been slow and has since been suspended as Alstom is not in the position to hand over partially-trained Conductors and Engineers to ONxpress in January; training which takes substantially longer than training for CSA.

I’m willing to learn.

 

[Northern Light]

I imagine they would have been called back by now.

Yes, but........many have quit/moved on........a small number may have retired, but others will have migrated to the Class 1s and aren't coming back. So you need to replace those positions and add more on top.

 

[smallspy]

Yes, but........many have quit/moved on........a small number may have retired, but others will have migrated to the Class 1s and aren't coming back. So you need to replace those positions and add more on top.

And with new work/rest rules having taken effect over the past year, the freight railroads are also looking to add to their own staff rosters.

Dan

 

[crs1026]

I imagine they would have been called back by now.

Some didn’t return.

I have wondered if/how the RER schedule workup ever worked mathematically. ML had the ability to hire only x per year, but training takes y years….even if they started back in 2019 and there had not been covid - how big a workforce would they have today?

I’m sure Alstom or ML have those numbers. Hopefully they aren’t locked in a blame game about where things stand.

- Paul

 

[Fritter]

Hopefully they aren’t locked in a blame game about where things stand

I can picture with how Metrolinx operates, this is exactly what is happening

 

[generalcanada]

So wasnt ONexpress hiring their own train drivers? IIRC didnt they tell the alstom union guys to apply to the jobs?

 

[WB62]

So wasnt ONexpress hiring their own train drivers? IIRC didnt they tell the alstom union guys to apply to the jobs?

All of the operators from Alstom (CSA’s, CTO’s, and QCTO’s, and probably some other positions that are essential to keeping the network running) will be transferring over to Alstom, no need for them to reapply.
There was a line drawn somewhere though, higher management at Alstom definitely isn’t transferring over and they were told they’d need to apply to the same position at OnXpress if they’d like to continue doing what they do.

I’m not sure how true this is but I’ve heard there’s already been quite a few higher ups that have left early, if that’s the case this is the start of the “light at the end of the tunnel” phase until January.

 

[smallspy]

I can picture with how Metrolinx operates, this is exactly what is happening

This is 100% the case, with the added bonus of Alstom having ended hiring as they can't guarantee that anyone starting the process now would be finished in time for the changeover.

All of the operators from Alstom (CSA’s, CTO’s, and QCTO’s, and probably some other positions that are essential to keeping the network running) will be transferring over to Alstom, no need for them to reapply.
There was a line drawn somewhere though, higher management at Alstom definitely isn’t transferring over and they were told they’d need to apply to the same position at OnXpress if they’d like to continue doing what they do.

This is correct, although there is currently some discussion going on as Alstom is trying to play some games with the way the changeover is done from a legal standpoint.

I’m not sure how true this is but I’ve heard there’s already been quite a few higher ups that have left early, if that’s the case this is the start of the “light at the end of the tunnel” phase until January.

That has been going on for the past year or so, with quite of few of those higher ups getting cushy landing spots within Metrolinx itself.

Dan

 

[crs1026]

That has been going on for the past year or so, with quite of few of those higher ups getting cushy landing spots within Metrolinx itself.

Dan

The question to be asked of Metrolinx management is - what is the scope and plan to downsize Metrolinx after the transfer of people and functions to Onxpress?

I have seen the outsourcing game played before in crown corporations - the party line will be that ML is now a "smart buyer" and needs just as many people to manage the relationship with Onxpress. One would hope that Queens Park isn't buying that.

One would expect that a Metrolinx with no direct operating accountability needs far fewer people to perform its residual functions.

- Paul

 

[Amare]

The question to be asked of Metrolinx management is - what is the scope and plan to downsize Metrolinx after the transfer of people and functions to Onxpress?

I have seen the outsourcing game played before in crown corporations - the party line will be that ML is now a "smart buyer" and needs just as many people to manage the relationship with Onxpress. One would hope that Queens Park isn't buying that.

One would expect that a Metrolinx with no direct operating accountability needs far fewer people to perform its residual functions.

- Paul

I suspect there will be very little to no downsizing at Metrolinx once Onxpress takes over operations next year.

In the past i've worked in a couple government ministries and "agencies" per se which had their duties re-imagined/reduced/transferred in one way or another, and every single time there was no downsizing to be seen. I highly doubt that Metrolinx will be an exception to that trend.

 

[smallspy]

The question to be asked of Metrolinx management is - what is the scope and plan to downsize Metrolinx after the transfer of people and functions to Onxpress?

I have seen the outsourcing game played before in crown corporations - the party line will be that ML is now a "smart buyer" and needs just as many people to manage the relationship with Onxpress. One would hope that Queens Park isn't buying that.

One would expect that a Metrolinx with no direct operating accountability needs far fewer people to perform its residual functions.

- Paul

Don't forget that while OnXpress is taking over the rail operations, the bus operations are going no where - for now.

Yes, there may be some headcount reduction, but a large part of the organization is dedicated to making sure that the buses run everyday, and they aren't going anywhere.

Dan

 

[crs1026]

Don't forget that while OnXpress is taking over the rail operations, the bus operations are going no where - for now.

Yes, there may be some headcount reduction, but a large part of the organization is dedicated to making sure that the buses run everyday, and they aren't going anywhere.

That's fair, and I don't have any accurate data on the ML org chart or how much of the organization is affected by losing the rail functions. So it's hard to say how much of a hit the ML orgainization is taking through Onxpress.
However, the management take on this is a pretty good test of whether ML sees itself as a government bureaucracy or as a business organization. Any market-based bottom-line-focussed organization that drops a product line (or subcontracts it out) will be making reductions immediately. A public sector bureaucracy will fight to retain head count - size is power.

- Paul