All they may do is be relieved or deadhead to a "home terminal" (such as the place where they came on duty near their point of residence) or an "away from home terminal" (such as an approved hotel) to begin a period of rest.
In the United States railroad employees who are involved in the movement of trains are governed by the Hours of Service Act.
The Act, which is administered by the Federal Railroad Administration, covers "train employees" (49 U.S.C.
The law also specifies how many hours employees may work, both continuously and with a period of off time (called swing time) which is differentiated as being too short to be considered a period of rest.
The affected employees include Dispatchers, Conductors, Engineers and more.