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The Company (Details)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Feb. 12, 2010
Nature Of Operations [Line Items]    
Rail Route Network Distance 32,500bni_RailRouteNetworkDistance  
Number of States in which Entity Operates 28us-gaap_NumberOfStatesInWhichEntityOperates  
Number of Canadian Provinces In Which Entity Operates 3bni_NumberOfCanadianProvincesInWhichEntityOperates  
Consumer Products [Member]    
Nature Of Operations [Line Items]    
Percentage of Total Freight Revenues 31.00%bni_PercentageOfTotalFreightRevenues
/ bni_FreightRevenueByCommodityGroupAxis
= bni_ConsumerProductsMember		  
Industrial Products [Member]    
Nature Of Operations [Line Items]    
Percentage of Total Freight Revenues 28.00%bni_PercentageOfTotalFreightRevenues
/ bni_FreightRevenueByCommodityGroupAxis
= bni_IndustrialProductsMember		  
Coal [Member]    
Nature Of Operations [Line Items]    
Percentage of Total Freight Revenues 22.00%bni_PercentageOfTotalFreightRevenues
/ bni_FreightRevenueByCommodityGroupAxis
= us-gaap_PublicUtilitiesInventoryCoalMember		  
Agricultural Products [Member]    
Nature Of Operations [Line Items]    
Percentage of Total Freight Revenues 19.00%bni_PercentageOfTotalFreightRevenues
/ bni_FreightRevenueByCommodityGroupAxis
= bni_AgriculturalProductsMember		  
Northern Sante Fe Corporation [Member]    
Nature Of Operations [Line Items]    
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Remaining Equity Interest Acquired, Percentage   100.00%bni_BusinessCombinationStepAcquisitionRemainingEquityInterestAcquiredPercentage
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= bni_NorthernSanteFeCorporationMember