2.4.0.82101100 - Disclosure - Accounting Policies and Interim Resultstruefalsefalse1false falsefalseD2013Q2YTDhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0000934612duration2013-01-01T00:00:002013-06-30T00:00:001true 1us-gaap_OrganizationConsolidationAndPresentationOfFinancialStatementsAbstractus-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsexbrli:stringItemTypestringfalse0Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]2false 2us-gaap_OrganizationConsolidationAndPresentationOfFinancialStatementsDisclosureTextBlockus-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1falsefalsefalse00<div style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10pt;"><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Accounting Policies and Interim Results</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"> </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">The Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with Burlington Northern Santa Fe, LLC’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">December 31, 2012</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">, including the financial statements and notes thereto. Burlington Northern Santa Fe, LLC (BNSF) is a holding company that conducts no operating activities and owns no significant assets other than through its interests in its subsidiaries. The Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of BNSF and its majority-owned subsidiaries, all of which are separate legal entities (collectively, the Company). BNSF’s principal operating subsidiary is BNSF Railway Company (BNSF Railway). All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"> </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">On February 12, 2010, Berkshire Hathaway Inc., a Delaware corporation (Berkshire), acquired </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">100%</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"> 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 of a wholly-owned merger subsidiary and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation with the surviving entity renamed Burlington Northern Santa Fe, LLC. Berkshire's cost of acquiring BNSF was pushed-down to establish a new accounting basis for BNSF beginning as of February 13, 2010. Earnings per share data has not been presented because BNSF has not issued stock or membership interests to the public.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br clear="none"/></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">The results of operations for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations to be expected for the entire year. In the opinion of management, the unaudited financial statements reflect all adjustments (consisting of only normal recurring adjustments, except as disclosed) necessary for a fair statement of BNSF’s consolidated financial position as of </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">June 30, 2013</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">, and the results of operations for the three and </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">six</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"> months ended </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">June 30, 2013</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"> and </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">2012</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br clear="none"/></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;text-indent:48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;"></font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">Certain prior year amounts in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows have been reclassified to conform to the current presentation of capital expenditures. The reclassification did not affect the Company's previously reported results of operations or financial position. </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br clear="none"/></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:underline;">Subsequent Event</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:justify;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"><br clear="none"/></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:48px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">In July 2013, the Board of Managers (the Board) of the Company authorized an additional </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">$3 billion</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"> of debt securities that may be issued pursuant to the debt shelf registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), for a total of </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">$3.25 billion</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"> that remains authorized by the Board to be issued through the SEC debt shelf offering process.</font></div></div>falsefalsefalsenonnum:textBlockItemTypenaThe entire disclosure for organization, consolidation and basis of presentation of financial statements disclosure.Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 8 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28200181&loc=SL6228881-111685 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 720 -SubTopic 15 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/subtopic&trid=2122524 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 205 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6359566&loc=d3e326-107755 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367646&loc=d3e18780-107790 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 205 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7668296&loc=d3e288-107754 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -SubTopic 10 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/subtopic&trid=2197480 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=18733093&loc=d3e5614-111684 Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 915 -SubTopic 235 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6472506&loc=d3e38932-110933 Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 852 -SubTopic 10 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/subtopic&trid=2209116 Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 272 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6373374&loc=d3e70478-108055 Reference 11: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 275 -SubTopic 10 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/subtopic&trid=2134480 Reference 12: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 205 -SubTopic 10 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/subtopic&trid=2122150 false0Accounting Policies and Interim ResultsfalseAccounting Policies and Interim ResultsUnKnownUnKnownUnKnownUnKnowntruefalsefalseSheethttp://www.bnsf.com/role/AccountingPoliciesAndInterimResults12