Burlington Northern Railroad
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Railroad transportation |
| Predecessor | Great Northern Railway, Northern Pacific Railway, Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway, Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad |
| Founded | March 2, 1970 |
| Defunct | December 31, 1996 |
| Fate | Merged with Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway to form Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway |
| Successor | Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway (now BNSF Railway) |
| Headquarters | Fort Worth (last), previously Seattle and Saint Paul , United States |
Area served | United States (Midwestern, Northwestern, South Central, Southeastern regions) |
Key people | John M. Budd (CEO and chairman), Louis W. Menk (President and COO) |
| Products | Freight rail transport, briefly passenger rail transport until 1971 |
| Parent | Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation (after 1996) |
The Burlington Northern Railroad was an American railroad enterprise formed through the combination of four prominent railroads, operating between March 2, 1970, and December 31, 1996.
Its roots extend back to the 1848 charter of the Chicago and Aurora Railroad, a predecessor of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CB&Q), whose name influenced Burlington Northern’s identity. On December 31, 1996, Burlington Northern merged with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (ATSF), creating the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway (later known as BNSF Railway), under the ownership of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation. In 2009, this corporation was acquired by Berkshire Hathaway, led by investor Warren Buffett.
History
Burlington Northern emerged from the consolidation of four key railroads: Great Northern Railway (GN), Northern Pacific Railway (NP), Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway (SP&S), and Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CB&Q). These companies shared interconnected histories influenced by founder James J. Hill, who pursued several merger attempts starting in the early 20th century. Although initial merger proposals were thwarted by antitrust decisions, the railroads maintained close operational and strategic relationships.
The merger received approval in 1970 following legal proceedings. Under the guidance of executives John M. Budd (GN president) and Louis W. Menk (NP president), Burlington Northern, Inc. unified the four railroads into a single organization. Budd assumed the roles of CEO and chairman of the board, while Menk acted as president and chief operating officer.
To seize emerging business prospects, Burlington Northern expanded into the Powder River Basin in 1972 by constructing new rail lines to serve coal mining operations—a strategy that substantially boosted freight traffic, nearly doubling revenue ton-miles by 1979.
Although primarily focused on freight transport, Burlington Northern briefly operated intercity passenger services inherited from its predecessors until Amtrak assumed control in 1971. The company also retained a commuter rail service between Aurora and Chicago, which continues under BNSF management.
During the 1980s corporate developments, Burlington Northern acquired the St. Louis–San Francisco Railway in 1980, extending its reach southward toward Florida. It also absorbed subsidiaries such as Colorado and Southern Railway (1981) and Fort Worth and Denver Railway (1982). The company moved its headquarters twice: initially from Saint Paul to Seattle in 1981 and later to Fort Worth in 1988. That same year, it divested non-rail assets into a separate entity named Burlington Resources.
A distinctive asset included land holdings near Mount St. Helens obtained through historical land grants; following the volcano’s eruption in 1980, this property was exchanged with the U.S. Forest Service to establish a national monument.
The final major corporate event was the merger with ATSF in 1995, completed at the close of 1996 with unified dispatching and operations under the newly formed Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway brand. The company adopted the BNSF Railway name in 2005.
This unification produced one of North America’s largest rail systems, enhancing market presence and competitive strength through expanded global operations and a diverse range of freight services.
Route
Burlington Northern managed the northernmost rail corridors in the western United States, starting from Chicago, Illinois and stretching northwest through La Crosse, Wisconsin, Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Grand Forks, North Dakota. From Grand Forks, the lines extended westward across North Dakota, Montana, and Idaho until reaching Spokane, Washington. The former Great Northern (GN) route traversed the continental divide at Marias Pass, whereas the previous Northern Pacific (NP) line crossed at both Mullan and Homestake Pass. Notably, the southern Montana segment of the NP line was divested to Montana Rail Link in 1987.
At Spokane, the network branched out: the GN route headed west to Wenatchee, Washington, passed beneath the Cascades through the New Cascade Tunnel on Stevens Pass, and descended into the Puget Sound area via Everett, Washington. Meanwhile, the NP route veered southwest toward the Tri-Cities, then shifted northwest to Yakima, Washington, crossing under the Cascades at Stampede Tunnel to link with lines running from British Columbia to Portland, Oregon. Additionally, the Spokane, Portland and Seattle line ran southwest to the Tri-Cities before following the northern bank of the Columbia River to reach Vancouver, Washington.
Following its acquisition of the St. Louis – San Francisco Railway (SLSF), Burlington Northern expanded its rail network into regions of the South Central and Southeastern United States.
By 1970, BN operated approximately 23,609 miles of rail lines and 34,691 miles of track; SLSF contributed an additional 4,547 miles of line excluding QA&P and AT&N. By 1981, BN had grown its system to encompass 27,374 miles of line and 40,041 miles of track.
In response to the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens—which occurred on property owned by Burlington Northern—the company agreed to a land exchange with the U.S. government. This involved trading its one square mile (2.59 km²) holding on the volcano for national forest land elsewhere. The arrangement facilitated establishing the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument dedicated to conservation and scientific research.
Presidents of Burlington Northern Railroad
- Louis W. Menk (1970–1971)
- Robert W. Downing (1971–1976)
- Norman Lorentzsen (1976–1981)
- Richard C. Grayson (1981–1982)
- Walter A. Drexel (1982–1985)
- Darius W. Gaskins, Jr. (1985–1989)
- Gerald Grinstein (1989–1995)
- Robert D. Krebs (1995–1996) [Post BN]
See also
References
External links
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