generated: '2026-09-06'
method: searched
source: https://www.bnsf.com/ship-with-bnsf/support-services/customer-api/getting-started/
docs:
- https://www.bnsf.com/ship-with-bnsf/support-services/customer-api/getting-started/
description: >-
  BNSF runs a named Trial environment on a separate host, reachable with the same client certificate
  as Production. It is a real, provider-published test surface — not a mock — and it is where BNSF
  tells new callers to make their first request.
environments:
- name: Trial
  host: api-trial.bnsf.com
  port: 6443
  base_url: https://api-trial.bnsf.com:6443
  default_for_new_callers: true
  note: >-
    Restricted Services are NOT available here. BNSF requires at least one unrestricted service to be
    working in Trial before it will move a caller to Production.
- name: Production
  host: api.bnsf.com
  port: 6443
  base_url: https://api.bnsf.com:6443
  default_for_new_callers: false
credentials:
  separate_test_keys: false
  note: >-
    There is no test-mode key and no key prefix scheme. The same registered client certificate
    authenticates against both hosts; the environment is chosen by hostname alone. That means a
    caller cannot tell Trial from Production by looking at its credential — only by the URL.
first_request:
  documented_by_provider: true
  tool: Postman
  steps:
  - Configure a client certificate in Postman for host api-trial.bnsf.com, port 6443, supplying the
    CRT and KEY files in PEM format, unencrypted. A passphrase is optional.
  - Create a GET request to https://api-trial.bnsf.com:6443/v1/cars
  - Add the header Content-Type: application/json
  - Send.
  source: https://www.bnsf.com/ship-with-bnsf/support-services/customer-api/getting-started/
health_check:
  url: https://api-trial.bnsf.com:6443/healthcheck
  expected_body: <status>OK</status>
  observed_body: <status>ok</status>
  observed_status: 200
  observed_on: '2026-09-06'
  anonymous: true
  note: >-
    The health check answered 200 anonymously on both api.bnsf.com and api-trial.bnsf.com when probed
    on 2026-09-06 — it is the one operation on the surface reachable without a client certificate.
    The provider documents the body as uppercase OK; the live body is lowercase ok.
troubleshooting_published_by_provider:
- Use port 6443 when connecting or downloading the certificate.
- Certificates must be PEM format and unencrypted in Postman.
- Run the health check and expect <status>OK</status>.
- 'Verify the firewall path with: powershell Test-Netconnection -ComputerName "api-trial.bnsf.com" -Port 6443'
test_data:
  fixtures: none published
  test_values: none published
  time_simulation: none published
  note: >-
    BNSF publishes no test railcars, test VINs, test waybills or seeded fixtures. A Trial caller sees
    the data its own certificate is entitled to — meaning a company not named on a waybill gets an
    empty result in Trial exactly as it would in Production. There is nothing to rehearse a write
    against, which is why the ingate/outgate validate operations in
    conventions/bnsf-conventions.yml are the only rehearsal available.