I really about how the letting railroaders ride on other lines. I remember boarding Amtrak in Grand Forks and several BNSF employees needed a ride to Fargo. All they did was get a ticket from the ticket agent. If it is against the rules to do this, I really wonder why. Here in my airline world, any pilot can easily ride the cockpit jumpseat of other carriers. It's done everyday infact. This is of course with recipricol agreements with all the carriers, but it seems it should or would be the same with the railraods.
after all of the hullabaloo here (and on another rail forum), i just went ahead and called a friend who worked for UP's 'amtrak department' to find out the answer. according to UP, no one hired after april 27, 1981 is eligible for any discounts whatever for amtrak travel on any road. when amtrak began back in 1971, the member railroads negotiated discounts and passes for their existing employees to try and compensate for the lack of travel benefits once they discontinued passenger service, and everyone got the same deal.
so, here's the rules:
1. you must have been hired by a railroad which 'joined' amtrak, and which signed an agreement with amtrak for employee pass privileges (so locals originally hired by the M-K-T, for example, wouldn't be eligible).
2. you must have been hired by the railroad prior to april 27, 1981.
3. if hired before april 30, 1971, the rail fare is free for portions of your route over your home road and 50% off over other roads.
4. if hired after april 30, 1971, but before april 27, 1981, you are eligible for a 25% discount off of your rail fare.
5. these passes are handled internally by the host roads' HR departments.
6. amtrak does not have an official policy of discounts/free travel whatever outside the agreement.
if anyone has anything else to add, please let me know. i certainly hope i didn't misquote anything here!
-- eliyahu
austin, tx