(Reuters) - Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc <BRKa.N> <BRKb.N> further increased its stake in Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp <BNI.N> this week to about 17.6 percent.

According to a regulatory filing, Berkshire bought 751,400 shares in the U.S. railroad company for a total of about $58.1 million in the open market between January 7 and January 10. Buffett's company now owns 61.58 million shares.

Burlington shares have fallen more than 16 percent till date after touching a year-high of $95.45 in April last year. They closed 2.8 percent higher at $80.06 Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange.

Berkshire Hathaway has been gradually increasing its stake in Burlington Northern. The company reduced its stakes in two other railroads, Norfolk Southern Corp <NSC.N> and Union Pacific Corp <UNP.N>, in October 2007.

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(Reporting by Dilipp S. Nag in Bangalore; Editing by Kavita Chandran)