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Commitments and Contingencies - Environmental (Details) (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Mar. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2014
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]      
Accrued obligations for environmental matters, current liabilities $ 60us-gaap_AccruedEnvironmentalLossContingenciesCurrent    
Site Contingency, Estimated Time Frame for Accrued Cost Distributions 10 years    
Accrual for Environmental Loss Contingencies [Roll Forward]      
Beginning balance 404us-gaap_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingencies 435us-gaap_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingencies  
Accruals 1bni_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingenciesProvision 2bni_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingenciesProvision  
Payments (10)us-gaap_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingenciesPayments (10)us-gaap_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingenciesPayments  
Ending balance 395us-gaap_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingencies 427us-gaap_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingencies  
Environmental Issue      
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]      
Number of alleged environmental contamination sites (in sites) 225bni_AdministrativeJudicialAndOtherMandatoryCleanupEffortsTotalSites
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= us-gaap_EnvironmentalIssueMember
   
Number of environmental superfund sites (in sites) 16bni_AdministrativeJudicialAndOtherMandatoryCleanupEffortsSuperfundSites
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= us-gaap_EnvironmentalIssueMember
   
Liability for third-party tort claims 13bni_RecordedLiabilityForThirdPartyEnvironmentalTortClaims
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= us-gaap_EnvironmentalIssueMember
  15bni_RecordedLiabilityForThirdPartyEnvironmentalTortClaims
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= us-gaap_EnvironmentalIssueMember
Future costs for environmental liabilities, minimum 295us-gaap_LossContingencyRangeOfPossibleLossMinimum
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= us-gaap_EnvironmentalIssueMember
   
Future costs for environmental liabilities, maximum $ 530us-gaap_LossContingencyRangeOfPossibleLossMaximum
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= us-gaap_EnvironmentalIssueMember