Union Pacific employees have called Texas television station News Channel 9, wishing to be unidentified, with stories of exhaustion and long hours of work.

Federal law requires train workers to work in shifts no longer than 12 hours with a break no less than 10 hours. But the train crews News Channel 9 spoke with say Union Pacific often breaks this law. One worker reported a time where he worked an 18 hour day with as little as three hours off between his next shift.

"Union Pacific is forcing people to go to work tired and exhausted putting both the the employees on those trains in jeapordy and the general public in danger as well," said Bill Hannah, Regional Chairman for a local rail union.

Hannah says a reason Union Pacific overworks employees is because it is understaffed, especially in El Paso.

Union Pacific has not responded to these claims.