News Release

BNSF's Economic Development Efforts Lead To $1.1 Billion in Investments and Over 3,800 Jobs in 2003

FORT WORTH, Texas, February 9, 2004:

Economic development efforts of The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company (BNSF) were instrumental in the location of 149 new or expanded facilities during 2003 in the areas served by the railway. These facilities involved investments of $1.1 billion and the creation of 3,845 new jobs.

The 149 facilities included ethanol facilities in California, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, and South Dakota; lumber yards and transload facilities in California, Kansas and Minnesota; and consumer and perishables products warehouses in Arkansas, California, Illinois, Missouri, and Nebraska. Other facilities located along BNSF lines in 2003 include several locations for plastics, aggregates, and a copper firm and a paper mill.

The lumber facilities are of particular note since homebuilders broke ground on 1.85 million new housing units in 2003. "Housing starts in 2003 were the highest since 1978. This meant dramatically increased demand for our products," says Jerry Higman, President of Reliable Wholesale Lumber, Huntington Beach, Calif. "Working with BNSF helped us to quickly locate two new distribution centers that increased our capacity, enabled broader access and deeper penetration into key markets."

"The ability of businesses to respond to rapidly changing market conditions is key to their continued success, and to the success of the communities in which they operate," says Vann Cunningham, Assistant Vice President, BNSF Economic Development. "BNSF continues to be among the transportation industry leaders in helping to manage that critical component for our customers. Our partnerships with state and local public and private economic development agencies help businesses accelerate improvements to their supply chain process—from site selection to optimizing distribution networks."

A subsidiary of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation (NYSE:BNI), BNSF operates one of the largest railroad networks in North America, with about 32,500 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 components of many of the products we depend on daily, and hauls enough coal to generate about ten 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