TRAIN CREW REDUCTION FOR INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY OF RAIL TRANSIT. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

One of the basic measures of efficient operations of a transit system is its productivity. The concept of productivity is broad and can be measured by several different indicators. With the increases in wages since the 1950s, labor costs have become the dominant portion of operation costs for transit agencies. Efforts to increase productivity of operating labor have been particularly successful on rail transit systems. This report shows that while the modern rail transit systems, such as the Lindenwold Line, BART, and MARTA, have one-person train crews and therefore, very high productivity, most older streetcar, rapid transit, and regional rail systems still have obsolete, inefficient labor practices. A systematic analysis of alternative ways of performing different duties shows that on many existing transit systems, productivity of operating labor can be substantially increased through rather modest efforts. This report indicates that the greatest potential benefits from introduction of modern operating methods exist on regional rail systems. Existing rapid transit is another mode on which labor productivity can be substantially increased. Cooperation of labor unions should be obtained by retaining jobs through increased service frequency, or by passing on a portion of the savings to the operating employees in the form of increased wages for increased duties.