Glossary

Hears appeals of FRA Operating Crew Review Board decisions on conductor certification revocation or denial. A written request to appeal to an AHO must be made within 20 days of the Board’s decision. See the Conductor Certification page.

National Railroad Passenger Corporation. NJ Transit shares some trackage with Amtrak; relevant to C3RS program boundaries, which extend to Amtrak territory operated by NJT.

Federal agency that de-identifies and securely stores C3RS close call reports to protect reporting employees’ confidentiality. See the C3RS page.

An FRA-funded program letting employees confidentially report close call safety events without fear of discipline, in most circumstances. See the full C3RS page for the complete 37-question guide.

Your specific job classification (e.g., Conductor, Assistant Conductor, Ticket Collector) — determines which seniority roster and bidding rules apply to you, and which LCA represents you for craft-specific votes.

A Railroad Retirement Board requirement — generally met if you had railroad service in at least 12 of the 30 months before retirement or death. Affects eligibility for survivor benefits. See the Railroad Retirement page.

Time spent traveling to or from a work assignment outside your home terminal, for which you may be entitled to pay and mileage. Time deadheading to an assignment counts as on-duty time; time deadheading from an assignment to final release is “limbo time” — neither on duty nor off duty. See Payroll page Rule 19.

NJT-provided disability insurance coverage. Status and pending claims should be reviewed before retirement — see the Retirement Checklist.

The NJT supervisor who signs and issues conductor certifications under 49 CFR Part 242.

Confidential counseling and support services available to NJT employees, including for critical incidents and mental health. See the Benefits page.

A pool of employees without a fixed regular assignment, called as needed to cover vacancies, extra service, or unassigned work. Subject to the weekly extra board guarantee under Rule 20 — see the Payroll page.

The federal law that governs on-the-job injury claims for railroad employees, in place of state workers’ compensation, which does not cover railroad workers. See FELA Designated Legal Counsel on the Important Links page.

Federal law providing eligible employees unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons. Forms available on the Downloads page.

The federal agency that regulates railroad safety, including hours of service, conductor certification (49 CFR Part 242), and the C3RS program. Part of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

NJ Transit’s formal notice of investigation — the document that initiates the railroad discipline process. See the full G-250 Notice Guide.

The committee that represents members in contract negotiations and grievance handling at the system level. Local 60 falls under GCA 610. See the Officers page.

Federal regulations (49 CFR Part 228) governing maximum on-duty time and minimum rest requirements for train service employees. See the full Hours of Service page.

The site-specific agreement that establishes how C3RS operates at NJ Transit, signed by labor, management, BTS, NASA, and FRA. See the C3RS page.

An income-based surcharge added to standard Medicare Part B and Part D premiums for higher earners. See the Railroad Retirement page for the 2026 IRMAA table.

A craft-specific committee within Local 60 that handles representation for a particular work group (e.g., LCA-610 A, B, C). LCA elections are voted on separately by eligible craft members only.

Time spent deadheading from a duty assignment to your final release point — counted as neither on-duty nor off-duty time under hours of service rules.

Federal law guaranteeing union members rights during officer elections, including the right to nominate, run for office, vote by secret ballot, and campaign. See the Elections page.

The national template describing core principles of the C3RS confidential reporting system, which each site customizes into its own IMOU.

The standardized rulebook of operating rules used by NJ Transit and many other Northeast railroads.

NJ Transit’s own police force, with jurisdiction over the rail system. Call NJTPD or 911 for any on-the-job emergency, including assaults — see the Assault Report page.

U.S. Department of Labor office that investigates union election complaints and member rights violations under the LMRDA. See the Elections page.

The FRA body that hears initial appeals of conductor certification revocation or denial decisions. A petition must be filed within 120 days. See the Conductor Certification page.

Union members appointed by their General Chairmen who review de-identified C3RS summary reports and recommend corrective action to the carrier. See the C3RS page.

The agreed-upon schedule allotting time for promoted employees to become physical-characteristics qualified on territory where they currently work, if never previously paid to qualify.

A speed restriction requiring the ability to stop within half the range of vision, short of train, obstruction, or switch not properly lined. Violating restricted speed is grounds for conductor certification revocation.

The federal law governing labor relations for railroad (and airline) employees, separate from the National Labor Relations Act that covers most other private-sector workers.

The federal agency administering the railroad retirement and unemployment/sickness benefit system — separate from Social Security. See the full Railroad Retirement page.

A specialist who evaluates employees referred due to certain driving record findings (e.g., DUI/DWI) or drug and alcohol program requirements.

An additional pool of employees who can place their name on a list to cover work at a specific location, with deadhead and mileage rules differing depending on whether you’re on or off the supplemental list. See Payroll page Rule 19.

The Social Security-equivalent portion of your Railroad Retirement annuity, calculated using the same formula as Social Security based on combined railroad and non-railroad earnings. See Railroad Retirement page.

The railroad-specific pension on top of Tier I, based solely on your railroad service and earnings — what makes Railroad Retirement more generous than Social Security alone. See Railroad Retirement page.

NJ Transit’s official Report of Personal Injury form. Available on the Downloads page.

Hours of service classifications. Type 1 assignments report no earlier than 4:00 AM and release no later than 8:00 PM. Type 2 covers any assignment with time on duty after 8:01 PM or before 3:59 AM, and requires fatigue risk analysis. See the Hours of Service page.

An incident report filed for irregular events, often referenced when documenting incidents for claims or assault reports.

UTU Insurance Association, now operating as American Journey Financial Life. Offers insurance products to SMART-TD members. See the Important Links page.

An additional payment for a small number of members who were vested in both Railroad Retirement and Social Security prior to 1975. Not adjusted for COLA. See Railroad Retirement page.

The USDOT Volpe National Transportation Systems Center — a C3RS program stakeholder bound by the same confidentiality protections as BTS and NASA.