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Accounts Receivable (Details) (USD $)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Mar. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2014
Accounts Receivable Details [Abstract]      
Allowance for doubtful accounts $ 5,000,000us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsReceivableCurrent   $ 5,000,000us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsReceivableCurrent
Allowance for doubtful accounts - receivables not expected to be collected in one year 14,000,000us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsReceivableNoncurrent   16,000,000us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsReceivableNoncurrent
Receivables Securitization Facility [Abstract]      
Total capacity to transfer undivided interests to investors under the receivables securitization facility 650,000,000unp_TotalTransferCapacityUndividedInterestsToInvestorsUnderReceivablesSecuritizationFacility    
Receivables securitization facility renewal date 2017-07    
Receivables securitization facility duration 3 years    
Value of the outstanding undivided interest held by investors under the receivables securitization facility 400,000,000unp_ValueOutstandingUndividedInterestHeldByInvestorsUnderReceivablesSecuritizationFacility   400,000,000unp_ValueOutstandingUndividedInterestHeldByInvestorsUnderReceivablesSecuritizationFacility
Accounts receivable supporting the undivided interest held by investors 1,200,000,000unp_AccountsReceivableSupportingUndividedInvestorHeldInterest   1,200,000,000unp_AccountsReceivableSupportingUndividedInvestorHeldInterest
Cost of the receivables securitization facility - interest expense $ 1,000,000unp_ReceivablesSecuritizationFacilityInterestExpenseCost $ 1,000,000unp_ReceivablesSecuritizationFacilityInterestExpenseCost