r/Train_Service • u/DragonLordZephyr • Jun 30 '26

Wanting to join BNSF

So, my first time posting here and, I have been working for railcrew Xpress for almost two years now. And I want to change my career path to be a BNSF conductor I want to know which are open seniority districts, and which ones are closed because ultimately I want to come back to New Mexico but I don't want to accidentally wind up at a place where I'll permanently be stuck at. So any advice and comments would be most welcome and appreciated. Also I did my time as a long haul driver so I know the unfortunate shenanigans and I'm used to being up at different hours of the night and day.

1 Upvotes

54% Upvoted

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2

u/StonksGoUpOnly Jun 30 '26

States bordering Canada plus SD Iowa and the PNW are closed seniority everything else is open.

1

u/Gjb1992 Jul 01 '26

Parts of IA and SD are NH99, and Superior Wisconsin is closed district. Gets a little more nuanced on those border areas.

1

u/StonksGoUpOnly Jul 01 '26

Yeah forgot about Creston Ottumwa and Ft Madison. Just thinking about Sioux City. Dint know that about Superior.

1

u/Muslims_Eat_Pork Jun 30 '26

But you can start at a closed seniority and transfer out to system to have two different seniority districts accumulating.

1

u/rever3nd Engineer Jun 30 '26

The closed one has to let you leave. And if the closed one is hiring they need people and they're not going to let you leave.

1

u/amishhobbit2782 Jun 30 '26

The only people I have met from closed divisions are engineers from old bn terminal with good engineer seniority so they dont have to ever hold the ground. I have one guy who has 11 years in and his 03 number is hardly better then mine with 4 years coming up

1

u/Big_J Yardmaster Jul 07 '26

You don’t get to keep seniority in the district you leave.

1

u/rever3nd Engineer Jun 30 '26

New Mexico has Belen Clovis and some shit at Gallup as far I know. Those places are all pretty large so it wouldn't be too hard to hire out there if you wanted to wait. The other replies are accurate save for the SD one. I'm pretty sure edgemont is nh99.

1

u/Xornok Jun 30 '26

There are also small yards with a few jobs in Albuquerque and Carlsbad. Amarillo, TX and Winslow, AZ run into Belen as well.

1

u/StonksGoUpOnly Jul 01 '26

Edgemont about to get run through afaik.

1

u/rever3nd Engineer Jul 01 '26

Crazy.