Burlington shareholders approve sale to Berkshire

(AP) — Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. shareholders have approved the railroad's sale to Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, paving the way for the Oracle of Omaha to complete his biggest acquisition yet.

The $26.3 billion purchase of the nation's second-largest railroad is expected to officially close on Friday.

Burlington Northern CEO Matt Rose said 70 percent of shares cast that Berkshire didn't already own voted in favor of the deal. The acquisition needed two-thirds approval to pass.

"Tomorrow begins the first century of ownership of BNSF by Berkshire Hathaway," Buffett said in a statement. "I'm looking forward to every day of it as our railroad does its part to ensure the future prosperity of the country."

Berkshire Hathaway, based in Omaha, Neb., agreed last fall to pay $100 per share in cash and stock for the 77.4 percent of BNSF shares that it didn't already own.

Before this, Berkshire's biggest acquisition was the $16 billion stock purchase of reinsurance giant General Re in 1998.

When he announced the Burlington deal, Buffett called it an "all-in wager" on the U.S. economy, since freight railroads carry so many items that consumers use everyday. Everything from toys and cars to lumber for homes and coal for electricity rolls on the rails. Burlington Northern, based in Fort Worth, Texas, ships enough coal to power one of every 10 homes in the U.S.

In an interview with The Associated Press, CEO Rose said a rise in recent shipments indicates the economy is stabilizing, but sustainable growth still appears a long way off.

Although recent storms on the East Coast have bumped up demand for coal to generate electricity, the outlook in other segments — especially those tied to consumer spending — is still mediocre at best.

"The story is better than last year," Rose said. "But not great at all."