BNSF becomes 2nd major railroad to sign on to anonymous federal safety hotline for some workers

By JOSH FUNK
AP Business Writer

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — BNSF will become the second major freight railroad to allow some of its employees to report safety concerns anonymously through a federal system without fear of discipline. The Federal Railroad Administration announced Thursday that the railroad owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway had agreed to let its roughly 650 dispatchers participate in the program all the major railroads promised to join after last year’s disastrous Norfolk Southern derailment in Ohio. Until NS became the first major railroad to sign on in January, all the major freight railroads had resisted joining because they wanted the ability to discipline workers who use the hotline in certain circumstances.