Primary Recall exists to provide the company with a means to staff a particular location when the traffic increases enough to require the extra trainmen. Many locations experience seasonal increases in traffic, while others experience an ebb and flow in traffic that may be tied to other factors, such as economic conditions. There may not be a need for personnel now, but management at that station may be anticipating a traffic increase in the future. In the event of a need for personnel at the Primary Recall location, trainmen are recalled in reverse seniority order to the Primary Recall station and are held there until the station is sufficiently staffed.
Some of these Primary Recall stations aren't as desirable to work out of as others due to pay, type of work, working conditions and so on, and those locations tend to lose trainmen to other locations. As a conductor you have system seniority with BNSF, so once you've established your seniority and obtained your conductor certification, you can mark up to any job you can hold systemwide (excepting of course the former GN, NP and SP&S lines since they are not included in system seniority). Be aware that if you do chase your seniority and work at another location, that you will be subject to being recalled to the Primary Recall location for the term of the recall agreement. However, as the years pass and more trainmen are hired after you, you are less and less likely to be recalled since conductors junior to you are recalled first.
I'm not sure what is required of you as far as applying for another job is concerned. If you're talking about the engine program, you're able to bid on that right away. I believe it's a year for craft transfers, though, so carman or dispatcher or something like that will require a wait. And as far as taking a trainmaster job is concerned, I don't know what the timeline is on that, but a guy from my conductor class did it pretty quick after we got out of class.
Some of these Primary Recall stations aren't as desirable to work out of as others due to pay, type of work, working conditions and so on, and those locations tend to lose trainmen to other locations. As a conductor you have system seniority with BNSF, so once you've established your seniority and obtained your conductor certification, you can mark up to any job you can hold systemwide (excepting of course the former GN, NP and SP&S lines since they are not included in system seniority). Be aware that if you do chase your seniority and work at another location, that you will be subject to being recalled to the Primary Recall location for the term of the recall agreement. However, as the years pass and more trainmen are hired after you, you are less and less likely to be recalled since conductors junior to you are recalled first.
I'm not sure what is required of you as far as applying for another job is concerned. If you're talking about the engine program, you're able to bid on that right away. I believe it's a year for craft transfers, though, so carman or dispatcher or something like that will require a wait. And as far as taking a trainmaster job is concerned, I don't know what the timeline is on that, but a guy from my conductor class did it pretty quick after we got out of class.
