ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern has added three locations to those offering $5,000 starting bonuses for its conductor trainee program.
Bonuses are now available for trainees in Bellevue, Ohio; Elkhart, Ind.; and Fort Wayne, Ind., the company said in a press release. The railroad offers similar bonuses at a dozen other “priority locations” announced in February [see “Norfolk Southern promotes bonuses …,” Trains News Wire, Feb. 18, 2022]. Bonuses of $2,500 are offered elsewhere. Those interested can apply at the railroad’s job site.
Conductors are guaranteed minimum annual pay of $52,000, with earnings increases over four years to approximately $63,500. The 10- to 13-week training program includes two weeks at the railroad’s training center in McDonough, Ga., with the remainder at or near the hiring location.
NS and other railroads continue to face significant crew-shortage issues. The head of one major rail union has told federal regulators the shortages on staffing reductions stemming from the adoption of Precision Scheduled Railroading [see “Union blames train crew shortage on cutbacks …,” News Wire, April 4, 2022], and the Surface Transportation Board cited labor cuts in calling emergency hearings on service issues later this month [see “Federal regulators to hold hearings …,” News Wire, April 7, 2022].
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