Western Railroad Discussion > BNSF/UP Dispatching Office Question

Good Morning:

Is there any possibility of the BNSF or UP decentralizing their dispatching offices, much like CSXT did several years ago? Doea the centralized concept work well for the Western Roads?

Also, what territories does the BNSF offices in Kansas City, San Bernardino, and Spring, TX cover? I know the territories have changed a couple of times over the years.

Thank you in advance.

Don't know the answer to your first question, but my understanding of BNSF's dispatching centers is that the Spring office dispatches their entire system with the exception of California, which is dispatched by the San Bernadino office. Don't know what their KC office does.

I have heard that the UP Mojave DS 54 is coming back to San Bernadino CA sometime this year.
Dennis

wesleygreer Wrote:
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> Don't know the answer to your first question, but
> my understanding of BNSF's dispatching centers is
> that the Spring office dispatches their entire
> system with the exception of California, which is
> dispatched by the San Bernadino office. Don't know
> what their KC office does.

You are confusing Spring and Fort Worth. Spring, TX is a suburb of Houston; at that location is a joint UP/BNSF office that dispatches Houston area trackage. BNSF's main dispatching center where most of the system is dispatched from is located in Fort Worth, TX, about 230 miles northwest of Spring as the crow flies.

Unless it has changed and it very well might have, the Kansas City Dispatch office has Kansas City area dispatchers for both Union Pacific and BNSF along with the Kansas City Terminal railroad dispatcher(s).

BNSF has satellite offices in Spring, San Bernardino and Kansas City, oh yes lest I forget New Westminster, Canada. Each of these offices has maybe 5 desks. Compaired to Fort Worth with 105. The New Westminster office exists for purely political reasons. There are a two UP dispatchers in Fort Worth to better coordinate Powder River traffic. Likewise the offices in Spring KC and San Berdoo are all consolidated. We invited KCS to join us in the KC office, the offer was declined. I believe the local terminal railroads share space there as well. The Spring office was formed to better deal with Houston area traffic after the meltdown from the UP/SP merger. I have never worked there but I am told it works fine as long as you do it the way the UP wants. I have heard rumors about the UP withdrawing their dispatchers from the San Berdoo office. But if it ever happened I do not know. Similar rumors have floated about regarding the KC office.

gman1 Wrote:
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> BNSF has satellite offices in Spring, San
> Bernardino and Kansas City, oh yes lest I forget
> New Westminster, Canada.

Not any more. BNSF gave it to CN in exchange for Corwith (Chicago IL) tower.


> The New Westminster office exists for purely
> political reasons.

New Westminster was on our Seniority district (Seattle, Maple Valley, Tacoma, Vancouver, Spokane, Havre). Before they were made train dispatchers, New Westminster was on the northwest operator seniority district (Bainville-Sandpoint on GN and everything west of Sandpoint), along with Vancouver and White Rock.

Canada decreed that US citizens could no longer work in Canada except for the few who were holding regular positions there and lived there. They were called landed immigrants. I tried to bump into New Westminster when I was cut off in Seattle and the Canadian government refused, regardless of our BN agreement. However, dispatchers in New Westminster could bid in on US jobs since they were in out seniority district.

Now, the US has a regulation that prohibits control of traffic in the US from outside of the country, mostly to keep CN and CP from moving offices in the US to Canada.

TAW

gman1 Wrote:
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> BNSF has satellite offices in Spring, San
> Bernardino and Kansas City, oh yes lest I forget
> New Westminster, Canada. Each of these offices
> has maybe 5 desks. Compaired to Fort Worth with
> 105. The New Westminster office exists for purely
> political reasons. There are a two UP dispatchers
> in Fort Worth to better coordinate Powder River
> traffic. Likewise the offices in Spring KC and
> San Berdoo are all consolidated. We invited KCS
> to join us in the KC office, the offer was
> declined. I believe the local terminal railroads
> share space there as well. The Spring office was
> formed to better deal with Houston area traffic
> after the meltdown from the UP/SP merger. I have
> never worked there but I am told it works fine as
> long as you do it the way the UP wants. I have
> heard rumors about the UP withdrawing their
> dispatchers from the San Berdoo office. But if it
> ever happened I do not know. Similar rumors have
> floated about regarding the KC office.

UP pulled the few desks they had at the KC office out of there a few years ago and moved back to Omaha. Only BNSF and KCT dispatchers work at the KC office.

BNSFDS

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