Today is Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, the busiest travel day of the year. Sunday will be nearly as busy as everyone heads home from a Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends.
Railroaders of all types will be working today, tomorrow, and through the weekend to make sure you are able to travel safely to your holiday gathering.
Many railroaders will celebrate Thanksgiving at their turn crew base, waiting to work back to home. Others will be onboard a train, making sure you have a safe trip.
In dark dispatch centers with video screens glowing, dispatchers will keep things fluid. On Thanksgiving Day, Amtrak may “have the railroad” because freight trains may not be moving, but the dispatchers still have to be there to accommodate the safe handling of passenger trains.
In train stations, ticket clerks and baggage handlers all will continue to work because railroading is a 365 day a year occupation. Those working tomorrow will have another day as their holiday, but tomorrow, they will be away from their family and friends so you can be with yours.
Commuter agency railroaders, too, will be working. Those going to a celebration just for the day on the holiday will be taken care of by the engineers, trainmen, and station agents of the commuter railroads.
All of us at Corridor Rail Development Corporation wish you and every railroader away from family and friends a happy Thanksgiving and say thank you to all of those railroaders working so everyone else can travel safely.