News Release

BNSF Named Carrier of the Year - Wal-Mart Announces Honorees at Annual Awards Ceremony

Bentonville, Ark. and Fort Worth, Texas, June 16, 2004:

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. recognized The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company (BNSF) as the recipient of Wal-Mart’s Carrier of the Year award at a recent conference in Bentonville, Ark. Wal-Mart's Core Carrier Conference, held annually, honors carriers for their commitment to providing excellent quality and service.

"We are pleased to have BNSF as part of our team and to name them as Wal-Mart’s Carrier of the Year for 2003," said David Reiff, Wal-Mart senior vice president for Transportation. "Their continued commitment to quality and customer service ultimately allows us to better serve our customers with on-time deliveries and in-stock merchandise."

This year, Wal-Mart recognized 12 carriers for their outstanding service in their respective categories. Some of those categories include Express Carrier of the Year, Produce Carrier of the Year, Rising Star Carrier of the Year and Innovative Carrier of the Year.

"BNSF is honored to have received Wal-Mart’s Rail Carrier of the Year award for the sixth consecutive year," said Steve Branscum, BNSF group vice president, Consumer Products. "We look forward to strengthening our relationship further with Wal-Mart by continuing to provide premium intermodal and carload transportation services that meet Wal-Mart’s needs."

Selection criteria for the award included revenue/growth, ease of doing business, communication, flexibility, customer service and follow-up/correction of errors.

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. 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 is an industry leader in Web-enabling a variety of customer transactions at www.bnsf.com.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., operates Wal-Mart Stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and SAM’S CLUBS in the United States. Internationally, the company operates in Puerto Rico, Canada, China, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, United Kingdom, Argentina and South Korea. The company's securities are listed on the New York and Pacific stock exchanges under the symbol WMT. Last year, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., contributed more than $150 million to support communities and local non-profit organizations. Customers and associates raised an additional $70 million at stores and clubs.

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