FACTBOX: Burlington Northern's freight load

(Reuters) - From corn to coal, more than 40 percent of the freight hauled throughout the United States is handled by rail. The top four carriers are Union Pacific Corp, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp, CSX Corp, and Norfolk Southern Corp.

In 2008, No. 2 carrier Burlington Northern, which is based in Fort Worth, Texas, transported:

* 2.5 million carloads of coal, enough coal to generate nearly 12 percent of the nation's electricity.

* More than 23 million tons of wheat

* 31 million tonnes of exported agricultural products

* 66 million tons of consumer goods, such as clothing, toys and electronics

* 475 million small parcels and packages in partnership with parcel delivery companies

* 2.5 million containers of imported consumer goods

* 4.7 million tons of perishables and canned goods

* 8 million tons of lumber

* 14.5 million tons of steel

* 13 million tons of plastic

* 1.7 million vehicles

(Reporting by Carey Gillam)