CSX REDI Center

I recently interviewed for a conductor position with CSX in Richmond, Va and was offered a verbal offer. I passed my drug test and the background check has come back positive. My contact person called me to tell me this and she told me that I would be taking a physical next week. The REDI class is sceduled for April 15 to May 27. I have read that you have to PAY for your REDI training, but the interviewers and my contact perosn has not said ONE word about this! Is it true? Another thing is, my wife is pregnant and the baby is due May 20...I am going to miss my baby's birth for training!!! Wow!

Hi; If you are a CSX direct hire, you shouldn't have to pay anything. They will cover your expenses, or at least reimburse you for some things. Take money along for food and incidentals; you will get $20.00 a day for meals in training. Unless it has changed recently, you should be staying at the Holiday Inn just down the street from Turner Field in Atlanta. Since this training is on the companies nickle, you will be under a microscope. Drinking, fighting, insubordination, and a really bad attitude will get you terminated on the spot. I saw one guy let go two hours before graduation because he lied about his address. You will also be let go if you cannot hang on the side of a rail car for four minutes. 85 is passing, 84.9 and below will not cut it. I'm sure others who have been through the REDI center can add to reasons for termination.

You will have weekends off, but a flight back home before graduation is on you. If you can't get back, you better have a good explanation as they are very serious about attendance and punctuality.

I went through AMDG and spent five weeks absorbing rules and basic railroad knowledge. REDI was something of a rehash of AMDG. The REDI center is in a disreputable part of Atlanta. But they bus you in every day from the hotel. Other things that make REDI somewhat unrealistic is: newer rail, clean ballast, and railcars that aren't covered with grafitti or are rusted out. A lot of yards out there are your grandfathers railroad; they haven't updated anything since the 1920's. With the two weeks we had there, they didn't really tell us to be snitches (but they spent all this time on a 6 step correction procedure - which is not practiced out in the real world.) Stories have floated around that REDI is trying to teach the "direct" new hires to become rats. Trust me, this will blow up on you if you pursue that route. While you are in your post-REDI training phase, you pretty quickly decide those practices that you wish to copy and those you don't. Some people work safe and others you avoid like the plague. Make your mistakes in school, not out here.

I had to pay for AMDG, which was pretty much a case of buying the job. You pretty much had a job, so long as you didn't make a total JACK A$$ of yourself in school or with the interviewer. CSX paid for the flight and hotel while we were in Atlanta.

Good luck with training

"You will also be let go if you cannot hang on the side of a rail car for four minutes. 85 is passing, 84.9 and below will not cut it. I'm sure others who have been through the REDI center can add to reasons for termination. "

Could you please explain further? 85% of what? The paper testing? Physical testing? etc? What goes on with the hanging on for 4 minutes?
Thanks.

Hi; What I mean by the 85% is passing refers to the daily written tests that you will take. At AMDG, you took a daily quiz and a weekly test on Monday. My guess is that this is the same program at the REDI center. There will also be POD work (on the computer) that must be done before you leave. All of this will be spelled out during your orientation period.

As for hanging on a railcar for four minutes, here is the deal. In the back area of the REDI center there is an area where you learn how to change knuckles, hook up air hoses and other "in the field" stuff. There is a wall that has four railcar ladders. You have to be able to hang on for four minutes while giving signals with a lantern. (In the real world you tend to use radios; the engineer can't see you if you are shoving a cut of 75 cars into a siding.) If you step off before they tell you, that is pretty much an automatic failure. This is a test of arm strength since most railcars can be a pain to ride on. Tank cars and auto racks are good to ride on. Some box cars and wood haulers suck.

Good luck with school and let me know if I can answer anything else.

The only thing that they reimburse you for, unfortunately, is the 20 dollars a day in food, and the mileage, if you drove. You aren't allowed to drive to the REDI center, so dont miss the bus. If they have to turn around, nobodys happy.
Ill see you for a week! I graduate the 24th of april.

Thanks Pac man.
Zepplin, how is your education going and if you would not mind could give me some insite on the school(classes, size, hanging on the ladders, etc) and the hotel. Is it the Holiday Inn Select downtown 2 blocks from Turner Field. Being off on the weekend what is there to do? I am flying so I will walking or renting a car. I was told that you get a room by yourself, is that correct? How do they reimburse you the $20? Anymore info would be great man!

Virginia_Cajun wrote:Thanks Pac man.
Zepplin, how is your education going and if you would not mind could give me some insite on the school(classes, size, hanging on the ladders, etc) and the hotel. Is it the Holiday Inn Select downtown 2 blocks from Turner Field. Being off on the weekend what is there to do? I am flying so I will walking or renting a car. I was told that you get a room by yourself, is that correct? How do they reimburse you the $20? Anymore info would be great man!

You wont get reimbursed any funds or mileage until you get back to your home terminal. They show you how to do payroll like the last couple of days there and you wont actually get the money until your already home. So take some money with you, Atlanta is expensive!

Do the rooms have friges and microwaves and is there a grocery store nearby? It may be sandwiches and water for me if we dont get money right then. What is the point of getting the $20 a day if you dont get it when you are there?

Hi; I don't remember the rooms having refrigerators or microwaves, but some might. Call the Holiday Inn and ask (1-404-591-2000). The neighborhood where the Holiday Inn is located is not the best and is set up for people who can drive. It is right along I-20. You can drive your car to Atlanta, you just cannot take it to the REDI center on a daily basis. (At least I had that option). You can eat at the hotel (about $6 - 8 for breakfast and $10 - 12 for dinner) and at the school ($6.00 for lunch), but this gets expensive quickly. You can take along canned foods and non perishables (PB & J). Since I was there only 8 days, this was not as critical as being there 6 weeks.

I was able to get a fridge in my room i think 2 days before i left, they bring them to your rooom on a first come first served basis. I don't remember having a microwave in my room but i think there was a room you could go into with at least one microwave. The hotel isn't in the best area and i wouldn't advise doing a lot of exploring near the hotel by yourself on foot. There were no supermarkets, convenience stores, nothing really within walking distance but you can try to have the shuttle bring you somewhere and they do make several trips 1 or 2 days a week to a supermarket. The hotel itself is actually pretty nice and there is wifi if you have a laptop. As for fun in your downtime you're right next to turner field, and a taxi/shuttle ride away from the underground (malls/restaurants/bar/clubs), the coke museam, and the aquarium. If you have a car with you there's plenty of stuff to do around the city and they let me park free at the hotel garage when i rented a car for the weekend. Also when i was there the school ran round the clock with 3 shifts, so hopefully you are lucky enough for 1st or 2nd trick.

good luck

thanks for the advice

"Good luck with school and let me know if I can answer anything else."

Well fellas, I am flying out of Richmond Sunday morning for Atlanta! I am staying at the Holiday Inn on Virginia Ave next to the airport. Are there any items that I may need or that I should bring for convience?

I'm writing this from that same holiday inn, and let me tell you, bring whatever it is that'll make it feel like home. It's the end of our fifth week here, and it just zipped by. Bring the usual stuff, pens, paper, folders, whatever you need to keep on top of your schoolwork.
Hit your signals hard and early, to get it out of the way, but in addition to that, theres not much you need to be prepared for. Just pay attention to what the instructor says, and you'll do well. Bring plenty of food, as well - save some cash.

Hey Zepplin, are there any grocery stores near by or even convience stores? I received an email that said I may not get a frig or microwave...did you get one and did you get your own room? I guess I may see you there...I will have on a LSU cap if we can wear them?

Going to the Redi Center Soon and I heard alot rumors but I like to know from guys who just finish how do they pick Seniority at the Redi Center and if we get there on Sunday what date do they pick the Seniority. And when can you take the Signal test?