1.0.0.3 false Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited) (USD $) In Millions, except Per Share data false 1 $ false false USD Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 USDEPS Divide http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 false 2 $ false false USD Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 USDEPS Divide http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 false 3 $ false false USD Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 USDEPS Divide http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 false 4 $ false false USD Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 USDEPS Divide http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 5 Revenues 3 us-gaap_Revenues us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 true true 3316000000 3316 false false 2 true true 4478000000 4478 false false 3 true true 6740000000 6740 false false 4 true true 8739000000 8739 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 6 Operating expenses: 3 us-gaap_OperatingExpensesAbstract us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false 3 false false 0 0 false false 4 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 7 Compensation and benefits 4 us-gaap_LaborAndRelatedExpense us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 824000000 824 false false 2 false true 951000000 951 false false 3 false true 1692000000 1692 false false 4 false true 1934000000 1934 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 8 Fuel 4 us-gaap_FuelCosts us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 509000000 509 false false 2 false true 1291000000 1291 false false 3 false true 1123000000 1123 false false 4 false true 2336000000 2336 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 9 Purchased services 4 bni_PurchasedServices bni false debit duration monetary The amount of expense for contract services provided to the Company. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 466000000 466 false false 2 false true 540000000 540 false false 3 false true 944000000 944 false false 4 false true 1065000000 1065 false false The amount of expense for contract services provided to the Company. No authoritative reference available. false 10 Depreciation and amortization 4 us-gaap_DepreciationAndAmortization us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 379000000 379 false false 2 false true 349000000 349 false false 3 false true 749000000 749 false false 4 false true 690000000 690 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 11 Equipment rents 4 bni_EquipmentRents bni false debit duration monetary Rent paid for freight cars owned by other railroads or private companies, net of rents received, incuding lease expenses... false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 196000000 196 false false 2 false true 223000000 223 false false 3 false true 397000000 397 false false 4 false true 453000000 453 false false Rent paid for freight cars owned by other railroads or private companies, net of rents received, incuding lease expenses primarily for locomotives, railcars, containers and trailers. No authoritative reference available. false 12 Materials and other 4 bni_MaterialsAndOther bni false debit duration monetary Materials and other operating expenses not separately disclosed. This element is used when other, more specific, elements... false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 145000000 145 false false 2 false true 410000000 410 false false 3 false true 369000000 369 false false 4 false true 672000000 672 false false Materials and other operating expenses not separately disclosed. This element is used when other, more specific, elements are not appropriate. No authoritative reference available. true 13 Total operating expenses 4 us-gaap_OperatingExpenses us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 2519000000 2519 false false 2 false true 3764000000 3764 false false 3 false true 5274000000 5274 false false 4 false true 7150000000 7150 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 14 Operating income 3 us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 797000000 797 false false 2 false true 714000000 714 false false 3 false true 1466000000 1466 false false 4 false true 1589000000 1589 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 15 Interest expense 3 us-gaap_InterestExpense us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 137000000 137 false false 2 false true 140000000 140 false false 3 false true 335000000 335 false false 4 false true 274000000 274 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 16 Other expense, net 3 us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncomeExpense us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 1000000 1 false false 2 false true 5000000 5 false false 3 false true 4000000 4 false false 4 false true 5000000 5 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 17 Income before income taxes 3 bni_IncomeBeforeIncomeTaxes bni false credit duration monetary Sum of operating profit (loss) and non-operating income (expense) before income taxes. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 659000000 659 false false 2 false true 569000000 569 false false 3 false true 1127000000 1127 false false 4 false true 1310000000 1310 false false Sum of operating profit (loss) and non-operating income (expense) before income taxes. No authoritative reference available. false 18 Income tax expense 3 us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 255000000 255 false false 2 false true 219000000 219 false false 3 false true 430000000 430 false false 4 false true 505000000 505 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 19 Net income 3 us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 true true 404000000 404 false false 2 true true 350000000 350 false false 3 true true 697000000 697 false false 4 true true 805000000 805 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 20 Earnings per share: 3 us-gaap_EarningsPerShareAbstract us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false 3 false false 0 0 false false 4 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 21 Basic earnings per share 4 us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasic us-gaap true na duration decimal No definition available. false false false false false false false false true 1 true true 1.18 1.18 false false 2 true true 1.01 1.01 false false 3 true true 2.05 2.05 false false 4 true true 2.32 2.32 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 22 Diluted earnings per share 4 us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDiluted us-gaap true na duration decimal No definition available. false false false false false false false false true 1 true true 1.18 1.18 false false 2 true true 1 1 false false 3 true true 2.03 2.03 false false 4 true true 2.29 2.29 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 23 Dividends declared per share 3 us-gaap_CommonStockDividendsPerShareDeclared us-gaap true na duration decimal No definition available. false false false false false false false false true 1 true true 0.4 0.4 false false 2 true true 0.32 0.32 false false 3 true true 0.8 0.8 false false 4 true true 0.64 0.64 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true false 4 19 false Millions UnKnown Hundreds false true