Conductor (transportation)

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For other meanings, see conductor.

Image:Train Conductor.gif The 'guard', 'conductor', 'captain', or 'foreman' (depending upon country of origin, or railway system) is the senior railway official responsible for the safe operation of a train, whether it is a passenger or freight train. All other crew members, including the engineer or driver are subordinate to the guard or conductor, and work under his or her direction.

Older style trams (streetcars) required a conductor primarily to collect fares, but also to assist with shunting and attend to passengers' needs. Modern ticketing arrangements have largely done away with the need for conductors on street railways.

The word 'guard' is British in origin, and is derived from the old stagecoaches.

They are usually responsible for the following duties:-

• Mechanical inspection of the rolling stock.
• Testing the continuous brake.
• Stopping and starting the train.
• Keeping a record or log of the journey.
• (Sometimes) checking the tickets.
• Attending to the needs of passenger work.
• On a freight train, keeping the record of the consignment notes.
• (Sometimes) assisting with the shunting or switching.

If the run of a train requires more than a single shift, each shift normally has a separate operating crew, with its own conductor, while onboard service crew members aboard passenger trains normally remain on duty for the entire run, including their assigned meal and sleep breaks. Under some circumstances, bus or other urban mass transit systems may employ conductors; this is particularly common in the case of antique or antique-reproduction streetcars, as such cars are often designed for a crew of two or more. Some subway systems may employ conductors for the sole purpose of making announcements and opening/closing doors, as opposed to a train operator doing the job for safety reasons.

Passenger trains may employ one or more assistant conductors, subordinate only to the conductor, to share the workload and accept delegated responsibility.

Aboard passenger trains and mass transit vechicles, the conductor checks tickets, and may also sell them on board. It varies with the system whether selling tickets is a regular procedure, or something that has to be done only occasionally, if a passenger has no ticket due to ignorance, carelessness, haste or an attempt to have a free ride (fare-dodging). In those cases usually a higher price has to be paid. This can be presented as a fine on top of the ticket price or simply as a higher fare.

Checking tickets is sometimes done at the entrance of a station or at the entrance of a train, tram or bus, in which case people without ticket can not enter. Other mass transit systems use a sort of "enforced honor system," in which passengers are expected to purchase tickets from machines at the stations, and retain them while on board; fare inspectors (frequently sworn peace officers) then randomly check passengers for proof of payment. In systems of this sort, intentional fare-dodging is considered an infraction, carrying a fine that might be several times the ticket price.

On freight trains, particularly in North America, the conductor historically rode aboard a caboose along with the rear flagman and the rear brakeman. The head brakeman and the fireman has always had their place next to the engineer in the leading locomotive. The Rear brakemen occupied the caboose and provided air pressure readings on the rear of the train. Also they were able to throw the train in emergency if a problem arose on the rear of the train. Also the defect detectors of that time displayed the defects by a number. The brakemen's job was to report the number after the train passed to the conductor. If a defect was found the head and rear brakemen would begin walking the train from both ends to find and remedy the defect.

With the implimentation of end of train devices (EOTD), in conjuction with a head of train device (HOTD), elimination of the caboose for air readings was made possible. The EOTD continually relays air pressure at the rear of the train to the engineer. Also, the engineer can initiate an emergency brake application from the rear of the train using the HOTD. The defect detectors have been upgraded to communicate by radio any defects, thereby also eliminating the brakemen. Train crews were once up to six men per train(head and rear brakemen, rear flagman, conductor, fireman, and engineer). The railroad carriers have reduced this to only two. A conductor and engineer. Currently there is a monumental feud that could change the railroad forever. The carriers want to eliminate the conductor's position also, resulting in one person crews. The UTU and BLE are virgously fighting this at the time of this writing.

See also: Routemaster, a bus in the United Kingdom.

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