News Release

BNSF Board Approves Increase in Share Repurchase Program

FORT WORTH, Texas, December 8, 2005:

The Board of Directors of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation (BNSF) (NYSE:BNI) today, December 8, authorized the extension of the current BNSF share repurchase program, adding 30 million shares to the total of 150 million shares previously authorized in equal amounts in July 1997, December 1999, April 2000, September 2000 and January 2003.

BNSF has repurchased more than 147 million of the shares previously authorized. Common shares outstanding on October 17, 2005, totaled approximately 373 million.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation’s subsidiary BNSF Railway Company 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 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