News Release

BNSF Website Corrects Bias in Minneapolis Star Tribune/ProPublica Reports

FORT WORTH, Texas, Dec. 5, 2010:

BNSF Railway, on behalf of its more than 38,000 dedicated employees, strongly objects to the "investigative" story published today by the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. BNSF wants to assure the public that, contrary to the implications of the Star-Tribune story, the company operates with honesty and integrity and has achieved an excellent safety record. BNSF today launched a website www.bnsf.com/casefacts to correct blatant unfairness in the Minneapolis Star Tribune/ProPublica's coverage of BNSF's conduct in grade crossing and railroad employee safety issues. The website contains documents, data and other evidence so that readers misinformed by the Star Tribune can find the truth. The website will be updated as needed to correct further errors and omissions in Star Tribune coverage.

"BNSF has worked hard to prevent grade crossing accidents and promote employee safety and as a result BNSF has one of the best safety records in the railroad industry," said John Ambler, BNSF vice president, corporate relations. "BNSF has invested hundreds of millions of dollars and years of effort in partnership with our employees to improve safety results. That effort has dramatically reduced employee injuries, grade crossing fatalities and derailments."

According to the National Transportation Safety Board and other independent grade crossing safety experts, at least 90 percent of grade crossing accidents are due to the driver.

"Criticisms of our conduct in court occurred in a miniscule fraction of a percent of the cases involving our railroad over the past decade," Ambler said. "In today's news story, the Minneapolis Star Tribune has chosen to focus on those very few cases to falsely portray BNSF as not committed to safety and ethical conduct when our overall record plainly refutes this. The Star Tribune also has failed to fairly report on the extent to which plaintiffs' counsel and plaintiffs themselves have been sanctioned by the courts." We urge anyone interested in the facts ignored or minimized by the Minneapolis Star Tribune to go to www.bnsf.com/casefacts . The website contains:

• Facts about BNSF's excellent grade crossing safety record
• Facts about BNSF's outstanding employment safety record
• Facts about BNSF's commitment to operate with honesty and integrity and our company's vision and values, including the implementation of improved evidence preservation techniques
• The truth about the Anoka collision, which the Minneapolis Star Tribune repeatedly has failed to cover fairly or accurately.

For more information go to: www.bnsf.com/casefacts

About BNSF

About BNSF Railway is one of North America's leading freight transportation companies operating on 32,000 route miles of track in 28 states and two Canadian provinces. BNSF offers broad access the to North American market through five US-Mexico Gateways and five US-Canada Gateways. BNSF is one of the top transporters of consumer goods, grain, industrial goods and low-sulfur coal that help feed, clothe, supply, and power American homes and businesses every day. BNSF and its employees have developed one of the most technologically advanced, and efficient railroads in the industry. And we are working continuously to improve the value of the safety, service, energy, and environmental benefits we provide to our customers and the communities we serve. You can learn more about BNSF at www.BNSF.com.

BNSF Headquarters
BNSF Railway Company
2650 Lou Menk Dr. 2nd Floor
Fort Worth, TX 76131-2830
P.O. Box 961057
Fort Worth, TX 76161-0057
Phone: (817) 352-1000