It was a bit of a homecoming for BLET locomotive engineer Ted Graham when he pulled back the throttle to officially relaunch Amtrak’s “Mardi Gras” service along the Gulf Coast on August 19. Graham, a member of BLET Division 18, previously worked as an assistant conductor on the route prior Hurricane Katrina in 2005. He was on duty just days before Katrina made landfall on August 29, 2005.
“Just to be back on that route, pulling passengers, was great,” said Graham, who has been a BLET member for almost 24 years. He spent about seven weeks in training, including familiarization trips, to gain qualification on the route.
While Graham lives in northern Alabama, his on-duty location in Mobile is about 300 miles from home. However, the distance did not deter him from taking the job. In fact, it was the right location at the right time. The new job gives him extra opportunities to see his daughter, who just started medical school at the University of South Alabama, in Mobile. “It’s just one of those things that was meant to be,” said Graham.
The twice-daily service between New Orleans, La., and Mobile, Ala., will provide employment opportunities for BLET members. “I hope this route will provide for them like it provided for me,” Graham said.