 Bill Congo’s grandfather worked as a dispatcher for the Canadian National Railroad, and used his employee pass to travel all over Canada by rail with his grandson. When he was a child, Ed Wentworth’s parents
frequently sent him solo on the train from Dover to visit his grandparents in Newton. The two have not forgotten the excitement and sense of adventure they experienced during those childhood train excursions, and now translate those memories into helping others have an enjoyable train experience.
Congo and Wentworth are two members of the crew who volunteer for the TrainRiders Northeast Station Host Program and greet visitors at the Dover train station, assist them in deciphering the computerized ticket machine, help with their luggage, pass out maps and information and "call the trains" - railroad-speak for announcing a train’s imminent arrival.
The latter service came in handy on a recent wind-whipped day that saw temperatures in the teens, a power outage in the region, and trains cautiously approaching railroad crossings - slowing service but derailing possible accidents. Congo was in touch by radio with train engineers and able to keep passengers safe and warm inside the station until the train arrived.
"There’s battery back-up on the signals," said Congo, "but they’re being cautious to avoid problems."
TrainRiders Northeast, the organization responsible for bringing Amtrak service back to New Hampshire and Maine, began the Station Host Program in September 2004, to provide passengers "a welcoming presence at the station and make train travel a little bit more user-friendly," according to Bill Hunt, a New Hampshire board member and 19-year veteran of the Portland, Maine-based TrainRiders.
"Amtrak has told us it’s been very helpful to have us tell passengers when to board or when trains are late," Hunt said. "It lessens the anxiety and makes it a little more pleasant experience."
The pleasant experience station hosts provide often extends above and beyond calling trains, toting luggage and explaining the ticket dispenser. With the University of New Hampshire in the neighborhood and a regional population that is becoming more culturally diverse, station hosts are seeing more international passengers at the Dover station. A recent encounter involved a passenger from Sweden, visiting friends in Durham, who missed his stop and got off the train in Dover. Wentworth phoned the passenger’s friends while fellow volunteer Steve Piper invited the Swedish visitor into his warm car and out of the 0 degree temperatures until his friends arrived.
"We see them all the time," said Wentworth. "People in other countries are more used to riding trains."
"All of us have done this," Congo added. "Someone misreads a schedule and ends up waiting for a 7:45 to Boston when there is none, so we call them a cab or take them to Portsmouth so they can catch the bus to take a train to Boston."
Hunt is proud of his volunteers, and said current station hosts "meet 75 to 85 percent of the trains coming through Dover." However, the organization’s goal is to provide hosts for every scheduled train, and Hunt doesn’t want the present crew to burn out, so he hopes that others will get on board the host program.
"We’ve got a good number of people coming through and using the train, so we could use a few more hosts," Hunt said. "These men deserve a lot of credit for what they do and the time they give," he said. "They’ve done a wonderful job of keeping it going; we couldn’t do it without them."
Wentworth agrees that "more and more people are using the train," and he and Congo - and the rest of the station host crew - enjoy meeting people and helping them.
"I’m a people person," Congo said. "I enjoy meeting people and helping out; and people are extremely appreciative. That just makes you warm inside."
If you’d like to be a Station Host Program volunteer, call Bill Hunt at 742-0553.
By Alice Standish for Dover Community News
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