News Release

BNSF Synchronizes Technology and Business At First Annual Technology Symposium

FORT WORTH, Texas – November 4, 2004:

The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company (BNSF) held its first annual Technology Symposium on October 26-27, 2004, at the company’s corporate headquarters in Fort Worth. Targeted to BNSF’s suppliers, business partners, and customers, the symposium’s overall theme was "Synchronizing Technology and Business to Move Our World."

BNSF’s objectives for the Symposium were two-fold: 1) Share corporate goals and strategies with its strategic suppliers as a catalyst to further discussions on ways the suppliers can help BNSF achieve its goals and position the company for the future; and 2) Showcase BNSF and supplier products and emerging technologies in booths, displays, and through demonstrations.

On the first day of the Symposium, BNSF’s senior executives, its Technology Services leadership team and the company’s suppliers conducted interactive discussions outlining near and distant-future business strategies and opportunities.

Themes of the discussions centered on solutions to enhance customer and business partner service, employee communication and collaboration capabilities, and recruitment, training and retention.

"This was the best customer and business partner event I have ever experienced," said Dave Riegel, account director, national accounts division, Teradata. "By obtaining the big picture of BNSF’s direction during the next 12-18 months and insights as to the company’s business initiatives, I came away with ways in which Teradata can support BNSF in its endeavors."

During the second day of the Symposium, the BNSF Technology Services team and BNSF suppliers demonstrated, in a trade show setting, their products and emerging technologies that supported the event’s theme. The exhibition was held at BNSF’s Technology Services Conference Center in Fort Worth. Products included:

• Voice Technology (Voice Train Reporting, Crew Calling)
• Electronic Train Management System (ETMS)
• iDispatch - Train Management and Dispatch System (TMDS)
• Zephyr (Customer Relationship Management)
• Mobility Architecture for Disconnected Users

"The Symposium exceeded our expectations," said Bonnie Henn-Pritchard, assistant vice president, BNSF Technology Services. "We had the opportunity to engage our strategic suppliers in ‘drill-down’ interactive discussions and obtain their input as to the alignment of technology initiatives with BNSF’s business. This format helped immensely in strengthening our working relationships with each supplier."

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 low-sulphur 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.

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