Railroad worker unemployment: File with RRB or TWC for Texas locomotive engineer?

Railroad workers are covered under a completely separate unemployment system from the state system. Your husband should ONLY file with the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), not with TWC. The Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act provides unemployment benefits specifically for railroad workers. If he files with TWC, they'll just deny him and tell him to go to the RRB. The good news is that railroad unemployment benefits are typically higher than state benefits in most cases.

My brother in law works for UP and had to do this last year. Call the RRB right away, the process takes longer then TWC. He got like 900 every two weeks which was way better then what TWC would have given him. The whole railroad system is separate from everything else, weird but true.

its definately rrb not twc, my dad worked burlington northern for 30 years and never had to deal with twc for anything unemployment related. goodluck!!

As others have said, railroad workers file with the RRB, not TWC. But I want to address the "mutual termination/quit" part because that could be a problem. If he voluntarily quit or was fired for cause, he might not qualify for benefits, even through the RRB. The RRB uses similar standards to TWC in determining if someone was at fault for their job loss. Make sure your husband carefully documents everything about how the separation occurred. If the employer suggested he resign instead of being fired, that's often considered a discharge, not a quit. The details really matter here.

I had to navigate this system when I worked for BNSF. Call the RRB directly at 877-772-5772. The wait times can be awful though. I spent 3 hours on hold last time I called them about retirement benefits. One thing I learned using Claimyr to connect with government agencies - they have a service that helps you reach RRB representatives without the insane wait times. Check out claimyr.com - there's a video demo at https://youtu.be/V-IMvH88P1U?si=kNxmh025COIlIzKh that shows how it works. Saved me hours of frustration. But to answer your question: railroad workers ONLY file with RRB, not TWC.

Kinda off topic but my husband just started with union pacific last year, any advice on what your husband did wrong so he can avoid it? thx!!

ALSO remember to file for sickness benefits with RRB if he has ANY medical issues that are work related!!! My cousin didn't know this and missed out on $$$

Since nobody has addressed it yet - regarding the "mutual termination" - if he was given the option to resign instead of being fired, this is generally considered a "discharge" for unemployment purposes, not a voluntary quit. The RRB (like TWC) looks at whether the worker initiated the separation. If the employer gave an ultimatum, that's generally considered employer-initiated. Make sure your husband clearly explains this when filing with the RRB. He should state that he was given the option to resign in lieu of termination. This is important because voluntary quits typically don't qualify for benefits unless there was good cause attributable to the employer (like unsafe working conditions, which it sounds like might have been part of the issue). The RRB benefits are typically paid biweekly and are subject to a waiting period, so don't expect payments immediately.

sorry ur going thru this but ya railroad is totally seperate my uncle always said they think there special lol but for real dont waste time with twc they will just tell u to go to rrb

To summarize what everyone has said: 1. Railroad workers file ONLY with the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), not with TWC 2. RRB benefits are typically higher than TWC benefits 3. For the "mutual termination" issue - if he was given the choice to quit or be fired, that's generally considered a discharge, not a voluntary quit 4. Document everything about the separation, especially if safety concerns were involved 5. Be prepared for long wait times when contacting the RRB The RRB website has forms and instructions at rrb.gov - I suggest starting there and then calling them if you have questions.