News Release

BNSF and NS Team Up to Provide Coast-to-Coast, Non-Stop Premium Trailer Intermodal Service

FORT WORTH, Texas, August 16, 2001:

The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company (BNSF) and Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NS) today announced a seamless, coast-to-coast intermodal trailer service for time-sensitive premium freight moving between Southern California and Rutherford, Pa., and Croxton, N.J. Eastbound service begins today and will run Thursday through Sunday. Westbound service began Tuesday, August 14 and will run Tuesday through Saturday.

BNSF provides the line-haul service between Southern California and Chicago, while NS provides the line-haul service between Chicago and the East Coast. The train runs non-stop with only a crew change at Norfolk Southern’s Ashland Avenue Yard in Chicago.

“This new premium service reduces transcontinental rail transit time and allows customers with very time-sensitive freight the opportunity to sell coast-to-coast third and fourth day service to the marketplace—something previously only available through team driver over-the-road transportation,” said Steve Branscum, group vice president, BNSF Consumer Products Business Unit. “This is another example of how BNSF and NS have partnered to provide customers with a cost-effective, intermodal solution that is truck-competitive.”

“The new intermodal trailer service will decrease transit times between coasts by at least half a day and reduce cross-town drayage through Chicago,” said Michael R. McClellan, vice president, NS Intermodal Marketing. “We are building on the successful seamless container services Norfolk Southern and BNSF launched earlier this year linking California to the Northeast and the Southeast. This is another step in the continuing evolution of interline products we plan to offer customers.”

Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC), is a Virginia-based holding company with headquarters in Norfolk. It owns a major freight railroad, Norfolk Southern Railway Company, which operates approximately 21,800 route miles in 22 states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario.

A subsidiary of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation (NYSE: BNI), BNSF operates one of the largest rail networks in North America, with 33,500 route miles of track covering 28 states and two Canadian provinces. In 2000, BNSF moved more than 3.5 million containers and trailers through its extensive network of 35 intermodal hubs, making it the largest intermodal carrier in the world.

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