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Learn about the history and operations of the Burlington Northern Railroad, a US-based railroad company formed from a merger of four major railroads in 1970. The article covers the railroad's trackage, freight and passenger service, and land ownership, including Mount St. Helens.
Since BNSF Railway was formed, late in 1995, with the merger of the Burlington Northern Railroad and the Santa Fe Railway, we have been committed to expanding and improving our network to meet our customers’ growing needs. LEARN MORE
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The history of Burlington Northern began nearly 70 years before its creation. In 1893, James Hill completed his transcontinental Great Northern Railway (GN) between the Puget Sound and St. Paul/Minneapolis although he wasn't the first to do so. Another, the Northern Pacific Railway (NP), had accomplished the very same feat five years earlier in 188...
In 1901, the Empire Builderalso grabbed the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (CB&Q), which provided him with a direct route into Chicago. It was at this time that a fight broke out with another noted tycoon, Edward Harriman, who wanted control of the CB&Q. To do this, he acquired a considerable stake in Northern Pacific. On May 3, 1901 Harriman establi...
Undeterred, the three railroads continued pressing for the union. A great hurdle was cleared when an agreement was reached with the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific (the "Milwaukee Road") stipulating that their only transcontinental competitor would be granted eleven new western gateways. This strategic opportunity garnered the Milwaukee boun...
The new Burlington Northern dominated the West, dwarfing all other western carriers by several thousand miles. Along with its four primary railroads, several smaller subsidiaries also comprised BN including: 1. Pacific Coast Railroad (GN) 2. Minneapolis, Anoka & Cuyuna Range Railroad (GN) 3. Walla Walla Valley Railroad (An NP-owned interurban) 4. C...
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency the act, in summary, addressed the following: "The Clean Air Act is the comprehensive federal law that regulates air emissions from stationary and mobile sources. Among other things, this law authorizes EPA to establish National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to protect public health and ...
One of its most important goals was to reduce particulates released by coal-fired generating stations, which had traditionally used bituminous coal. This highly abundant resource is traditionally found east of the Mississippi River and, in particular, within the Southern Appalachian Mountains. It was also relatively cheap to extract although its hi...
When the last round of mergers took place and Union Pacific grew even larger by adding the Southern Pacific/Denver & Rio Grande Western and Chicago & North Western (largely for its Powder River Basin traffic) Burlington Northern knew it must find a partner. After launching informal talks with the legendary Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe the two carrie...
Learn about the creation and evolution of Burlington Northern, the West's first mega railroad that merged three previous lines in 1970. See photos of its locomotives, routes, and operations across the country.
- March 2, 1970-December 31, 1996
- 27,772 (1972)
- March 2, 1970
BNSF Railway is the largest freight railroad in the US, formed by the merger of Burlington Northern and Santa Fe in 1996. Learn about its origins, routes, markets, equipment, and lawsuits from this comprehensive article.
Feb 12, 2024 · Learn how BNSF evolved from a small branch line in Illinois to one of the largest railroads in North America. Explore the history of its predecessors, including CB&Q, Frisco, GN and Santa Fe, and their contributions to the economy and culture of the West.
The Burlington Northern Railroad was the product of the merger of four major railroads: the Great Northern Railway (GN), the Northern Pacific Railway (NP), the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway (SP&S) and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CB&Q).
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Jun 2, 2006 · Learn how Burlington Northern Railroad and other railroads merged to form today's BNSF Railway Company. See the history and timeline of the mergers and acquisitions from 1853 to 1999.
