BNSF Plans to Acquire 409 Locomotives in 1998.

FORT WORTH, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 24, 1997--The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company (NYSE:BNI) (BNSF) today announced that it plans to acquire a total of 409 road locomotives in 1998 to meet the increasing demand for rail transportation. Up to 27 of the units can be acquired in 1997.

For 1998, BNSF has ordered 252 Dash 9-44CW locomotives from General Electric Transportation Systems (GE) and 157 SD70MAC locomotives from General Motors Electro-Motive Division (EMD). In May 1997, BNSF had announced plans to acquire at least 28 of the GE units and 105 of the EMD locomotives in 1998. During 1996, BNSF acquired 227 locomotives and will take delivery in 1997 of 232 units.

"By year end 1998, BNSF expects to have approximately 3,800 road locomotives, about one-fourth of which will have been acquired during the past three years," said Robert D. Krebs, BNSF chairman, president and chief executive officer. "We want to have enough power to meet the transportation demands of all of our customers -- coal, grain, intermodal and carload -- at the same time," he added.

"By increasing our road fleet to this size, we will also have the flexibility to reduce our short-term leasing of locomotives as well as maintenance costs on units whose availability is well below the daily average of 90 percent that we seek," Krebs pointed out.

Each GE Dash 9-44CW locomotive generates 4,380 horsepower, using direct current (dc) traction motors. The EMD SD70MAC units generate 4,000 horsepower, using alternating current (ac) traction motors. Both models have electronic brakes, distributed power capabilities and provisions for electronically controlled train brakes. The GE units have integrated functional control electronics, while the EMD locomotives have isolated cabs, self-steering radial trucks and integrated cab electronics.

Deliveries of both locomotive models will begin in January 1998.

BNSF operates one of the largest railroads in North America, with 35,000 route miles of track in 29 states and two Canadian provinces, including approximately 7,900 miles of trackage rights. -0-

Note to Editors: This news release, as well as all others disseminated by Burlington Northern Santa Fe, can be found on BNSF's World Wide Web site at http://www.bnsf.com .

CONTACT: Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway, Fort Worth

Richard Russack, 817/352-6425