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Debt (Details 3) (USD $)
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12 Months Ended | |||
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Dec. 31, 2014
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Jun. 30, 2014
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Dec. 31, 2013
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Jan. 01, 1997
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| Credit Facilities [Abstract] | ||||
| Line of credit facility replaced | $ 1,800,000,000unp_LineOfCreditFacilityReplaced | |||
| Revolving credit facility available credit | 1,700,000,000us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityRemainingBorrowingCapacity | |||
| Revolving credit facility withdrawals | 0us-gaap_LineOfCredit | |||
| Compliance with covenant | At December 31, 2014, and December 31, 2013 (and at all times during the year), we were in compliance with this covenant. | |||
| Allowable debt per debt-to-net-worth coverage ratio (as defined in the facility) | 42,400,000,000unp_AllowableDebtPerDebtToNetWorthCoverageRatioAsDefinedFacility | |||
| Outstanding debt (as defined by facility) | 11,600,000,000unp_OutstandingDebtAsDefinedByFacility | |||
| Cross-default provision (as defined by facility) | 125,000,000unp_CrossDefaultProvisionAsDefinedByFacility | |||
| Facility expiration date | May 25, 2019 | |||
| Commercial paper outstanding | 0us-gaap_CommercialPaper | 0us-gaap_CommercialPaper | ||
| Commercial paper issued | 0us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfCommercialPaper | |||
| Commercial paper repaid | 0us-gaap_RepaymentsOfCommercialPaper | |||
| Dividend Restrictions [Abstract] | ||||
| Retained earnings available for dividends | 15,400,000,000us-gaap_RetainedEarningsUnappropriated | 16,300,000,000us-gaap_RetainedEarningsUnappropriated | ||
| Mortgaged Properties [Abstract] | ||||
| Carrying value of equipment serving as collateral for capital leases and other types of equipment obligations | 2,800,000,000unp_CarryingValueOfEquipmentServingAsCollateralForCapitalLeasesAndOtherTypesOfEquipmentObligations | 2,900,000,000unp_CarryingValueOfEquipmentServingAsCollateralForCapitalLeasesAndOtherTypesOfEquipmentObligations | ||
| Value of Missouri Pacific Railroad company assets that secured mortgage bonds | $ 6,000,000,000unp_ValueOfAssetsThatSecuredMortgageBonds |
| X | ||||||||||
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- Definition
Total amount of debt (as defined in the facility) the debt-to-net-worth coverage ratio allowable under the revolving credit facility. No definition available.
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- Definition
Carrying value of equipment that served as collateral for capital leases and other types of equipment obligations. No definition available.
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| X | ||||||||||
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- Definition
Cross-default provision, as defined by facility. No definition available.
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- Details
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| X | ||||||||||
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- Definition
Line of credit facility replaced. No definition available.
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- Details
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- Definition
Outstanding debt as defined by the credit facility. No definition available.
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- Definition
Value as of the merger date of the MPRR assets that secured the mortgage bonds. No definition available.
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- Definition
Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of short-term borrowings using unsecured obligations issued by banks, corporations and other borrowers to investors. The maturities of these money market securities generally do not exceed 270 days. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Definition
The carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the current and noncurrent portions of long-term obligations drawn from a line of credit, which is a bank's commitment to make loans up to a specific amount. Examples of items that might be included in the application of this element may consist of letters of credit, standby letters of credit, and revolving credit arrangements, under which borrowings can be made up to a maximum amount as of any point in time conditional on satisfaction of specified terms before, as of and after the date of drawdowns on the line. Includes short-term obligations that would normally be classified as current liabilities but for which (a) postbalance sheet date issuance of a long term obligation to refinance the short term obligation on a long term basis, or (b) the enterprise has entered into a financing agreement that clearly permits the enterprise to refinance the short-term obligation on a long term basis and the following conditions are met (1) the agreement does not expire within 1 year and is not cancelable by the lender except for violation of an objectively determinable provision, (2) no violation exists at the BS date, and (3) the lender has entered into the financing agreement is expected to be financially capable of honoring the agreement. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Details
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- Definition
Identification of whether the entity has been in compliance with any credit facility debt covenants during the period. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Definition
Date the credit facility terminates, in CCYY-MM-DD format. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Definition
Amount of borrowing capacity currently available under the credit facility (current borrowing capacity less the amount of borrowings outstanding). Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Definition
The cash inflow from borrowing by issuing commercial paper. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Definition
The cash outflow due to repaying amounts borrowed by issuing commercial paper. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Definition
A segregation of retained earnings which is available for dividend distribution. Earnings not paid out as dividends but instead reinvested in the core business or used to pay off debt. Unappropriated profit is part of shareholder equity. Also called cumulative distributions or earned surplus or accumulated earnings or unappropriated profit. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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