FORT WORTH, TX -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 04/05/2007 -- Blizzard conditions in the Powder River Basin (PRB) of Wyoming and Montana resulted in the loss of about 170 coal train loadings on BNSF Railway March 27-April 4. Daily BNSF trains originating in the PRB bottomed out on March 30 at three, approximately 5 percent of the usual daily total. Throughout that period, BNSF had empty trains available, but mines were unable to load due to the blizzard's effect on mine employee availability and mine pit conditions.

Train loadings have been increasing since then as mines continue to work toward normal operations, although moisture in the mine pits continues to reduce loadings at some Wyoming mines. BNSF has been informed that mines believe they will be able to resume normal operations by the beginning of next week.

Thanks to the cooperation of utilities and connecting railroads, BNSF has been able to balance loaded and empty trains while maintaining a steady flow of empty trains back toward the PRB. BNSF will have empty trains available for loading as mines resume normal loading levels.

A subsidiary of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation (NYSE: BNI), BNSF Railway Company operates one of the largest North American rail networks, with about 32,000 route miles in 28 states and two Canadian provinces. BNSF is among the world's top transporters of intermodal traffic, moves more grain than any other American railroad, carries the components of many of the products we depend on daily, and hauls enough low-sulfur 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.