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 3595000000 3595 false false 2 true true 4906000000 4906 false false 3 true true 10335000000 10335 false false 4 true true 13645000000 13645 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 872000000 872 false false 2 false true 1013000000 1013 false false 3 false true 2564000000 2564 false false 4 false true 2947000000 2947 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 606000000 606 false false 2 false true 1349000000 1349 false false 3 false true 1729000000 1729 false false 4 false true 3685000000 3685 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 453000000 453 false false 2 false true 537000000 537 false false 3 false true 1396000000 1396 false false 4 false true 1600000000 1600 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 386000000 386 false false 2 false true 349000000 349 false false 3 false true 1135000000 1135 false false 4 false true 1039000000 1039 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, including lease expenses... false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 194000000 194 false false 2 false true 229000000 229 false false 3 false true 591000000 591 false false 4 false true 682000000 682 false false Rent paid for freight cars owned by other railroads or private companies, net of rents received, including 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 183000000 183 false false 2 false true 222000000 222 false false 3 false true 553000000 553 false false 4 false true 896000000 896 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 2694000000 2694 false false 2 false true 3699000000 3699 false false 3 false true 7968000000 7968 false false 4 false true 10849000000 10849 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 901000000 901 false false 2 false true 1207000000 1207 false false 3 false true 2367000000 2367 false false 4 false true 2796000000 2796 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 15 Interest expense 3 us-gaap_InterestAndDebtExpense us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 127000000 127 false false 2 false true 122000000 122 false false 3 false true 462000000 462 false false 4 false true 396000000 396 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 6000000 6 false false 3 false true 5000000 5 false false 4 false true 11000000 11 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 773000000 773 false false 2 false true 1079000000 1079 false false 3 false true 1900000000 1900 false false 4 false true 2389000000 2389 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 285000000 285 false false 2 false true 384000000 384 false false 3 false true 715000000 715 false false 4 false true 889000000 889 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 488000000 488 false false 2 true true 695000000 695 false false 3 true true 1185000000 1185 false false 4 true true 1500000000 1500 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 1.43 1.43 false false 2 true true 2.01 2.01 false false 3 true true 3.48 3.48 false false 4 true true 4.33 4.33 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 1.42 1.42 false false 2 true true 1.99 1.99 false false 3 true true 3.45 3.45 false false 4 true true 4.28 4.28 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 0.4 0.4 false false 3 true true 1.2 1.2 false false 4 true true 1.04 1.04 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true false 4 19 false Millions UnKnown Hundreds false true