News Release

BNSF Named One of 50 Best Companies for Latinas to Work for in U.S.

FORT WORTH, Texas, March 28, 2003 :

The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company (BNSF) will be formally recognized today, Friday, March 28, as a 2002 recipient of the LATINA Style 50 Awards, the 50 best companies for Latinas to work for in the United States for 2002.

BNSF Vice President Human Resources and Medical Gloria Zamora will accept the award at a reception in Washington D.C. on Friday, March 28, from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Hispanic leaders, members of Congress and senior officials of President Bush's administration have been invited to attend the reception. In addition, Elaine Chao, Secretary of Labor, will be the keynote speaker.

"This is a quite a tribute, one recognizing that BNSF values the significant contributions Latinas make to BNSF and that this is a great place for Latinas to develop and be successful, " says Zamora of the award. "It demonstrates our success in making BNSF a more diverse place to work." Angela Caddell, a BNSF manager who is active in BNSF’s Diversity programs, will accompany Zamora.

To be considered for the annual listing, BNSF had to complete an evaluation that was compared with those of the nearly 600 companies surveyed. Among the information included was that of the 36,000 BNSF employees, nearly 3,300 are Hispanic.

Other information included in the survey was how BNSF builds diversity awareness in the workplace, such as through its Regional Diversity Councils located throughout the system, and its Hispanic Leadership Council Affinity Group. Both are committed to personal development and creating a workplace that values and respects every individual. Cinco de Mayo and Hispanic Heritage Month are among the cultural activities they promote.

Also, through BNSF's Diverse Business Enterprise program, more than $50 million was spent in 2001 with minority, women-owned, and disadvantaged businesses, the survey showed. Additionally, the BNSF Foundation last year awarded $25,000 in scholarships to 10 Hispanic students to help with the cost of their college education.

LATINA Style is a national magazine dedicated to the needs and concerns of the contemporary Latina business owner and the Latina professional working woman. Its LATINA Style 50 Web site notes that BNSF: "places a strong value on education... Mentoring, education, reimbursements, including books and other expenses, and leadership training makes Burlington a top 50 choice." The magazine's research indicates the companies chosen as awards recipients provide the best environment for career development, professional growth and benefits.

A subsidiary of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation (NYSE:BNI), BNSF operates one of the largest railroad networks in North America, with 33,000 route miles covering 28 states and two Canadian provinces. BNSF is an industry leader in Web-enabling a variety of customer transactions at www.bnsf.com. The railway is among the world's top transporters of intermodal traffic, moves more grain than any other American railroad, transports the mineral components of many of the products we depend on daily, and hauls enough coal to generate about 10 percent of the electricity produced in the United States.

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