BNSF TO CUT 200 JOBS

BNSF TO CUT 200 JOBS    Burlington Northern Santa Fe said Monday that it will take a charge of $40 million to $50 million in the second quarter to reduce and redeploy employees.
   BNSF plans to cut 200 positions, largely material handlers, engineers and conductors. About 100 positions will be eliminated by June 30 and the balance will be cut by the first quarter of 2001.
   The railroad will also redeploy about 60 dispatching employees from Fort Worth, Texas, to a new joint dispatching center at BNSF's Argentine Yard in Kansas City, Kan. The move is in cooperation with Union Pacific Railroad and Kansas City Terminal Railway. BNSF and UP have coordinated on similar dispatching centers operating in Spring, Texas, and San Bernardino, Calif.
   The railroad said the employee reduction will result in annual savings of about $10 million when fully implemented.