Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers

Dear Sirs and Brothers:

Attached please find a copy of today’s BNSF press release concerning the Carrier’s "Availability Policy". As you will note, the Carrier has cancelled the policy in its entirety. This follows several months of intense discussions between the BLE General Committees on this property and the Carrier. Although we are obviously pleased with the Carrier’s final decision, please note that BNSF President Rose has advised that some form of attendance guidelines, unrelated to the cancelled policy, will be issued later this month. At such time that these guidelines become available, we will forward them for your review. Do not hesitate to contact the Office if any other questions or concerns arise in the meantime.

Fraternally,

M.W. Geiger, Jr
General Chairman

cc: K.N. Confer, Mobilization Coordinator
J.H. Nelson, GCA GST

FORT WORTH, Texas, February 4,2000— The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company (BNSF) today announced that it has decided to cancel its "availability policy" following more than two months of discussions with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLE) and the United Transportation Union (UTU).

BNSF had been allowed to proceed with the policy, which was designed to communicate BNSF’s expectations about availability to the railway’s train, yard and engine employees, by a Railway Labor Act arbitration board’s decision in October 1999.

"During December and January, BNSF met with BLE and UTU representatives to discuss better ways to work together to ensure that BNSF operating employees are in place to meet our customers’ requirements," said Matt Rose, BNSF’s president and chief operating officer. "Later this month, we expect to announce a new approach that reflects what we learned from those discussions."

BNSF operates one of the largest rail networks in North America, with 33,500 route miles of track covering 28 states and two Canadian provinces,