Class Is Part of a Push to Rebuild Front Line Workforce in Aftermath of Pandemic-Induced Hiring Freeze Last Year
View Photos from the Graduation Here
New York City Transit officials celebrated a newly trained class of subway conductors as part of their successful completion of training at New York City Transit’s school in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. The 32 conductors are set to be placed alongside train operators, helping the Authority tackle recent crew shortage challenges and bolstering the frequency of train service throughout the system. This marked the formal end of seven weeks of intensive training
"Each day our goal is to deliver 100% of our thousands of scheduled subway trips,” said New York City Transit Interim President Craig Cipriano. “We are focused on increasing class sizes and shortening the training curriculum for train operators without sacrificing safety so we can move more crews into the system more quickly to help us ensure that trains arrive more frequently."
“Riders coming back to the system deserve reliable service, and these conductors will help address the challenges we’ve experienced when it comes to staffing train crews,” said New York City Transit Senior Vice President of Subways Demetrius Crichlow. “Train conductors kept the city moving for the last 18 months, and it is with that same unwavering commitment and dedication we embrace our role in bringing New York back. I am so excited to welcome this new group to our team.”
The new employees are among hundreds who are expected to be onboarded in the months ahead, part of a deliberate effort undertaken by the MTA to rapidly grow the number of subway train operators and conductors. New train operators are having their training reduced by upwards of seven to eight weeks. A hiring freeze – necessitated by a fiscal crisis that developed during the pandemic – depleted the ranks of subway conductors and operators with many veteran workers retiring or leaving their frontline posts.