FRA Hours of Service and Safety Violation Form

The above link will take you directly to the FRA Violation Reporting Website.

Information on how Taxi/Deadhead affects your Hours of Service

When within the limits of 24 round-the clock taxi services, you should expect to be in a taxi no later than the expiration of your Hours of Service. This includes Alliance Terminal, or other locations where yard taxis routinely pick up and drop off crews in and around the terminal. Alliance Terminal extends to cover general switching limits (MP 357, Birdsell, Swepco, Third Street, Letan, and so forth). Grand Island would be another example of a 24-hour round-the-clock taxi service, as long as you are within range of the limits of the taxi. Here are some other examples: Guernsey Yard, Sterling Yard and Edgemont Yard (including the General Switching Limits). If you are not relieved and in a taxi on your hours, you should write up a document and forward it to this union's office for processing with the FRA. Train Symbol, Lead Unit, On duty time, crew members, arrival time and MP where you are picked up by the taxi, and tie up time. 

Combination/Separation of Double Trains

FRA Combining Train Questionnaire

BNSF received a waiver in 2020 dealing with the Combination or Separation of Double (Mega) Trains.

"For trains operating under this waiver, BNSF must provide notification identifying the location where all combination or separation, or train brake and mechanical inspections and tests will be performed to each crew, via work orders, from originating terminal, through crew change points to destination."

Basically, this means, if you're not given the information on your work orders and you are instructed to  combine or split a BNSF Maga train at your originating or destination terminal, it is an FRA violation.

For example: If an Alliance crew goes on duty at Guernsey, and does not receive information in their Work Order (Wheel) that the double train will be built in Guernsey or separated in Alliance, it is an FRA violation.

On an extended haul train, you are allowed to make 1 pickup/set out without the train losing its extended haul classification. The FRA has stated that when you make a BNSF Mega train, this is your 1 pickup.

This is explained in item 12 of Waiver 2020-0033 which can be found on your BNSF iPad in the Job Aids app under Waivers. It is called Combo_Split_Waiver_FRA-2020-0033

If you are instructed to build or dismantle Mega Train, check your paperwork. If this work is not in your Work Orders, it is a violation of this FRA waiver and needs to be reported.

To Report a Violation, please fill out this easy online form Combining Trains Questionnaire or get this information to Lance Flohr (lflohr622@gmail.com) or Shawn Miller (SMiller@blet622.com) so we can inform the FRA of this violation.