(a) Access to facilities. If the award under Sec. 269.13 of this part is made to a railroad other than Amtrak, Amtrak must provide access to its reservation system, stations, and facilities directly related to operations to the winning bidder awarded a contract under this part, in accordance with section 217 of the Act, necessary to carry out the purposes of this part.
(b) Employees. The employees of any person used by a railroad in the operation of a route under this part shall be considered an employee of that railroad and subject to the applicable Federal laws and regulations governing similar crafts or classes of employees of Amtrak, including provisions under section 121 of the Amtrak Reform and Accountability Act of 1997 relating to employees who provide food and beverage service.
(c) Hiring preference. The winning bidder shall provide hiring preference to qualified Amtrak employees displaced by the award of the bid, consistent with the staffing plan submitted by the winning bidder.