Does the engineer on the sunset ltd go all the way from Jax,Fl to Mobile Al before there is a crew change ,how many miles is that and how long does it take.Also,how long does he stay before he goes back?
Posted by rresor (Member # 128) on :
Amtrak engineers are paid by the hour, not by distance. Assignments are determined by the Federal Hours of Service law, which limits train crews to 12 continuous hours on duty and requires an eight-hour rest before they can work again.
Amtrak generally plans for a 10-hour workday for engineers. This determines the locations of crew change points, and a 10-hour scheduled work time allows for some lateness. So yes, I believe engineers work from Jacksonville to Mobile.
I do know that Amtrak engineers work from Washington to Florence, SC and then from Florence to Miami, which is a longer distance than Jax-Mobile but about the same in hours.