I may be hired by two railroads which one do I go to ????

[sugarhill1978]

I may be hired by two railroads which one do I go to????
Hello, I graduated for the National Academy of Railroad Science, After graduation, I was offered a job as conductor trainee with BNSF in Kansas City, Ks. but I don't start for a month (kansas city is 45 minutes for where I live). I am invited to a Train Service hiring session at Union Pacific in North Platte, Ne. next week (which is five hours from where I live and I am willing to relocate to North Platte). I have already passed the reading test in advance so I'm just interviewing for the job, and think I will get it too. I don't care which one I work for I just want to work for the company and location that will not lay me off or move me to another terminal as soon as I start out. I figured since North Platte, Ne needs people really bad I figured I might be able to hold a job there pretty soon. I don't know which way to go, I heard u can live like a king in North Platte with a railroad job and figured business doesn't slow down in North Platte because off coal. I hear rumors at Bnsf in K.C. after training they lay you off or ship u away some where else, but that could be rumors. I not scared to move a lot I just don't have a lot of money right now to be moving around so much and I really just want work in one location save money and then move me any where after that. I don't know which way and company to start my railroad career with BNSF in Kansas City or Union Pacific in North Platte, Ne. Please give me your advice and please don't get smart just because I asked a newbie question. Thank You P.S. is there a difference in which company work for? I hear its all the same because of the union agreement. I'd like to work in K.C. but it safe to I don't want to get layed off

[GN 599]

I could go on and on about why I like BNSF. I work there so its my preference. They are a lot stricter with their availability policy. I think on the UP its 90% vs 75% on the BNSF.

[amtrakhogger]

UP in North Platte sounds like a better bet for work. Bailey yard is
huge (the largest in the US) and it is the center of the UP universe.
They must have a ton of work.

[route_rock]

And KC has a ton of work for BNSF. You can go a bunch of different directions, work a few yards, and you have system wide ( minus the northern lines) seniority. So you can go to Alliance if your on the way to be laid off.
I would go with BNSF ( again I work here too) because of the seniority issue.Plus I just like it here. I would prefer to work a shortline someday as well so who knows where I will be next.

[GN 599]

And KC has a ton of work for BNSF. You can go a bunch of different directions, work a few yards, and you have system wide ( minus the northern lines) seniority. So you can go to Alliance if your on the way to be laid off.
I would go with BNSF ( again I work here too) because of the seniority issue.Plus I just like it here. I would prefer to work a shortline someday as well so who knows where I will be next.

Actually you can come out here to the northern lines but whatever seniority you had starts over. Except engineers who retain theirs but lose their date wherever they came from.

[git a holt to it]

I could go on and on about why I like BNSF. I work there so its my preference. They are a lot stricter with their availability policy. I think on the UP its 90% vs 75% on the BNSF.

Wrong, UP is the same.