News Release

Train Horns to Return to Quiet Zones in Some BNSF Communities

FORT WORTH, Tex., June 23, 2005:

BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) announced today that in order to comply with new Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) regulations, it will be required to begin blowing locomotive horns when approaching public crossings in some communities that had pre-FRA rule Quiet Zones.

The new FRA rule requires railroads to begin sounding the locomotive horn when approaching all public grade crossings at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, June 24, 2005.

The FRA established new requirements for the creation of new quiet zones and for the maintenance of pre-existing quiet zones. (The Locomotive Horn Rule and additional information can be found at the FRA Web site, www.fra.dot.gov).

Under the new FRA rule, communities with recognized, pre-existing quiet zones were required to notify both the FRA and the affected railroad through a written "Notice of Quiet Zone Continuation" by June 3, 2005 in order for the quiet zones to remain in effect. BNSF did not receive a Notice of Continuation from any of the communities listed below and will consequently be required to begin blowing locomotive horns again at 12:01 a.m. June 24, 2005.

Bakersfield, Calif.
St.Louis, Mo. (on some industrial crossings only)
Yakima, Wash.

The affected communities may file a Notice of Continuation with the FRA and BNSF to re-establish the previous quiet zones 21 days after the mailing date of such notice as required by the new regulations.

A subsidiary of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation (NYSE:BNI), BNSF Railway operates one of the largest railroad networks in North America, with about 32,000 route miles in 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 Railway 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