Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway may hire some furloughed Topeka employees if there aren't enough workers from Burlington, Iowa, who choose to transfer to Topeka for the consolidation of the locomotive repair shops.

BNSF announced in December that its locomotive repair shops would be consolidated in Topeka, bringing 89 union workers and four salaried people to Topeka. BNSF said 44 workers would remain in Burlington.

On Thursday, the company and union officials said they had reached implementing agreements for the transfer of work.

Steve Forsberg, BNSF spokesman, said 69 of the 89 union workers in Burlington have the option of transferring to Topeka or Galesburg, Ill., where BNSF has a terminal to provide service maintenance to locomotives. Because Galesburg is 50 miles from Burlington, most BNSF employees in Burlington will go there instead of Topeka, said Dell Babcock, general manager of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 19 in west Chicago.

Jobs in Topeka and Galesburg will be posted for bid on Monday. Employees in all affected crafts, including machinists, electricians, car men, boilermakers, laborers and sheet metal workers, will have until March 19 to bid on the posted jobs. Burlington employees who decide to transfer may report to work at their new job location as soon as March 29.

The Galesburg option became available after BNSF selected Galesburg as a terminal to increase BNSF's capacity to provide service maintenance to an expanding fleet of locomotives. Employees choosing the Galesburg option will work at BNSF's Galesburg shop under the supervision of the locomotive manufacturer.

BNSF workers affected by the transfer will receive a "very nice relocation package," Babcock said. Employees won't take a loss on the sale of their home and will be able to move furniture and belongings at company expense.

Forsberg said there would be a net increase of jobs in the Topeka locomotive shops, but he was unsure of the number.

"We'll just have to see," Forsberg said.

Labor requirements in Topeka not met by employees transferring from Burlington will result in a recall of some previously furloughed Topeka employees.