BNSF Railway Tone of Voice — Movement & Global

Tagline: "We Move the World"

Industry: Rail

Sector: Travel & Hospitality

How BNSF Railway Communicates

BNSF talks at the scale of a continent’s freight. "We Move the World" frames rail as the muscle behind the economy — vast, reliable, industrial. The voice is powerhouse and matter-of-fact, proud of hauling the things everything else depends on.

Tone Words

BNSF Railway's brand voice is defined by the following tone words: Movement, Global, Scale.

Communication Style

Language Style: Powerhouse
Sentence Type: Statement
Tense: Present
Expression: Imaginative

BNSF Railway Brand Story

BNSF Railway is one of the largest freight railroad networks in North America.

Brand Message

Western US rail leader

Brand Mission

To connect commerce with communities across the nation

Brand Positioning

Core Concept: World movement

Central Tension: Static vs. Moving

About BNSF Railway

BNSF Railway (reporting mark BNSF) is the largest of the many freight railroads in the United States. One of six North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 36,000 employees, 33,400 miles (53,800 km) of track in 28 states, and over 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that provide rail connections between the western and eastern United States. BNSF trains traveled over 169 million miles (272 million kilometers) in 2010, more than any other North American railroad. The BNSF Railway Company is the principal operating subsidiary of parent company Burlington Northern Santa Fe, LLC. Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, the railroad's parent company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., of Omaha, Nebraska. The current CEO is Kathryn Farmer. According to corporate press releases, BNSF Railway is among the top transporters of intermodal freight in North America. It also hauls bulk cargo, including coal. The creation of BNSF started with the formation of a holding company on September 22, 1995. This new holding company purchased the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (often called the "Santa Fe") and Burlington Northern Railroad, and formally merged the...

Frequently Asked Questions About BNSF Railway

What is BNSF Railway's tone of voice?

BNSF Railway uses a movement, global, scale tone of voice. Their communication is powerhouse, typically using statement-style sentences in the present tense. Their tagline "We Move the World" exemplifies this voice.

What is BNSF Railway's brand message?

BNSF Railway's core message: Western US rail leader Their mission: To connect commerce with communities across the nation

What is BNSF Railway's slogan?

BNSF Railway's slogan is "We Move the World". It carries their movement, global, scale voice.

What is BNSF Railway's mission?

BNSF Railway's mission: To connect commerce with communities across the nation

What makes BNSF Railway's brand voice unique?

BNSF Railway stands out through their movement, global, scale communication style. Their central brand tension, "Static vs. Moving", shapes how they communicate across the Travel & Hospitality sector.

What language style does BNSF Railway use?

BNSF Railway uses powerhouse language, with imaginative messaging, in statement-style sentences, using the present tense.