New York City Transit (NYCT) celebrated the graduation of 20 new train conductors following their successful completion of training at the NYCT Learning Center in Brooklyn.
These conductors will help NYCT tackle crew shortage challenges and bolster the frequency of subway service. This marked the formal end of intensive training that began in May 2022. The graduation took place as NYCT subway ridership hovers around 60 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
“Every graduation day is a special day for New York City Transit and a win for subway riders,” said NYCT President Richard Davey. “This class joins a great group that has kept the city moving for the past two and a half years and will help keep the subway’s recovery on track.”
“Building up the workforce remains a top initiative to provide better subway service for New Yorkers,” said NYCT Senior Vice President of Subways Demetrius Crichlow. “We are excited to welcome these new conductors to the New York City Transit team and can’t wait to see them out in the system.”
Since February 2021, 451 conductors have joined NYCT.
The new employees join the 953 bus operators and 784 train operators and conductors who recently completed their training — part of a deliberate effort by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to rapidly grow the number of bus operators, subway train operators and conductors. A hiring freeze, necessitated by a fiscal crisis that developed during the pandemic, depleted the ranks of train operators and conductors with many veteran workers retiring or leaving their frontline posts. Along with improved recruiting efforts and speeding up training for new employees, the MTA addressed the staff shortage by bringing back recently retired train operators, scheduling additional overtime and buying back vacation time.
