The Company	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
1. The Company [Abstract]
Nature of Operations [Text Block]	The Company Burlington Northern Santa Fe, LLC (BNSF or the Company) is a holding company that conducts no operating activities and owns no significant assets other than through its interests in its subsidiaries. BNSF’s principal, wholly-owned subsidiary is BNSF Railway Company (BNSF Railway), which operates one of the largest railroad networks in North America with approximately 32,500 route miles (excluding multiple main tracks, yard tracks and sidings) in 28 states and two Canadian provinces. Through one operating transportation services segment, BNSF Railway transports a wide range of products and commodities including the transportation of Consumer Products, Industrial Products, Coal and Agricultural Products, derived from manufacturing, agricultural and natural resource industries, which constituted 33 percent, 25 percent, 24 percent and 18 percent, respectively, of total freight revenues for the year ended December 31, 2012 (Successor). These Consolidated Financial Statements include BNSF, BNSF Railway and other majority-owned subsidiaries, all of which are separate legal entities. Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation was incorporated in the State of Delaware on December 16, 1994. As further discussed in Note 5 to the Consolidated Financial Statements, on February 12, 2010, Berkshire Hathaway Inc., a Delaware corporation (Berkshire), acquired 100% of the outstanding shares of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation common stock that it did not already own. The acquisition was completed through the merger (the Merger) of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation with and into R Acquisition Company, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Berkshire (Merger Sub), with Merger Sub continuing as the surviving entity. In connection with the Merger, Merger Sub changed its name to “Burlington Northern Santa Fe, LLC” and remains an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Berkshire. Berkshire’s cost of acquiring BNSF has been pushed-down to establish a new accounting basis for BNSF beginning as of February 13, 2010. Accordingly, the accompanying consolidated financial statements are presented for two periods, Predecessor and Successor, which relate to the accounting periods preceding and succeeding the completion of the Merger. The Predecessor and Successor periods have been separated by a vertical line on the face of the consolidated financial statements to highlight the fact that the financial information for such periods has been prepared under two different historical-cost basis of accounting. Earnings per share data is not presented because BNSF has no outstanding issued stock or membership interests to the public.

The Company

Burlington Northern Santa Fe, LLC (BNSF or the Company) is a holding company that conducts no operating activities and owns no significant assets other than through its interests in its subsidiaries. BNSF’s principal, wholly-owned subsidiary is BNSF Railway Company (BNSF Railway), which operates one of the largest railroad networks in North America with approximately 32,500 route miles (excluding multiple main tracks, yard tracks and sidings) in 28 states and two Canadian provinces. Through one operating transportation services segment, BNSF Railway transports a wide range of products and commodities including the transportation of Consumer Products, Industrial Products, Coal and Agricultural Products, derived from manufacturing, agricultural and natural resource industries, which constituted 33 percent, 25 percent, 24 percent and 18 percent, respectively, of total freight revenues for the year ended December 31, 2012 (Successor). These Consolidated Financial Statements include BNSF, BNSF Railway and other majority-owned subsidiaries, all of which are separate legal entities.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation was incorporated in the State of Delaware on December 16, 1994. As further discussed in Note 5 to the Consolidated Financial Statements, on February 12, 2010, Berkshire Hathaway Inc., a Delaware corporation (Berkshire), acquired 100% of the outstanding shares of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation common stock that it did not already own. The acquisition was completed through the merger (the Merger) of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation with and into R Acquisition Company, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Berkshire (Merger Sub), with Merger Sub continuing as the surviving entity. In connection with the Merger, Merger Sub changed its name to “Burlington Northern Santa Fe, LLC” and remains an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Berkshire.

Berkshire’s cost of acquiring BNSF has been pushed-down to establish a new accounting basis for BNSF beginning as of February 13, 2010. Accordingly, the accompanying consolidated financial statements are presented for two periods, Predecessor and Successor, which relate to the accounting periods preceding and succeeding the completion of the Merger. The Predecessor and Successor periods have been separated by a vertical line on the face of the consolidated financial statements to highlight the fact that the financial information for such periods has been prepared under two different historical-cost basis of accounting. Earnings per share data is not presented because BNSF has no outstanding issued stock or membership interests to the public.