Berkshire Hathaway owns which major U.S. freight railroad company?

Berkshire Hathaway owns BNSF Railway, one of the largest freight railroad companies in the United States.

Berkshire Hathaway completed its acquisition of the remaining shares of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation in February 2010. The transaction brought the railroad into Berkshire’s group of operating businesses and followed Berkshire’s purchase of a major BNSF stake in earlier years.

BNSF Railway operates an extensive network across the western two-thirds of the United States and also serves parts of Canada. Its trains carry commodities including agricultural products, coal, consumer goods, industrial materials, and energy products. The railroad is particularly important for routes linking Pacific Coast ports with inland markets.

BNSF is commonly confused with Union Pacific, CSX Transportation, and Norfolk Southern, which are separate major railroads. Berkshire Hathaway does not own the entire U.S. freight-rail industry; it owns BNSF, while other large railroads remain independent publicly traded companies.