Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A, BRK.B) is commonly known for its two core businesses - railway company Burlington Northern Santa Fe and the insurance operations. And both are struggling.
Berkshire Hathaway's railroad business, or BNSF, runs one of the largest railroad operations in North America, covering more than 32,500 route miles in 28 US states and three Canadian provinces. The unit is engaged in shipment of a number of industrial products that serve the energy industry as well as consumer products, agricultural products and coal. The business, therefore, is heavily exposed to commodities, particularly coal which alone represented more than one-fifth of the segment's annual freight revenue in 2015.
