OMAHA, Neb. – Union Pacific executives are traveling to Eagle Pass, Texas, today to encourage officials to reopen the Mexico rail border crossing that has been shut down since Wednesday due to the surge in migrants crossing the Rio Grande.
Thousands of migrants waded their way to U.S. soil this week, straining resources in the city of 28,000. Many of the migrants are camped out beneath the railroad bridge and the neighboring highway bridge that span the border.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection ordered the rail bridge linking Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras closed two days after Ferromex suspended northbound traffic as a safety measure. Thousands of migrants were gathered around Ferromex terminals and routes, hoping to catch a ride to the U.S. border, Ferromex said. Several migrants were killed or seriously injured while hopping freight trains.
Eagle Pass, which handled 16 trains per day in August, is the No. 2 rail gateway to Mexico. UP and trackage rights tenant BNSF Railway interchange with Ferromex via Eagle Pass. It’s a key route for Mexican beer, auto parts, finished vehicles, and appliances, among other commodities. The route also hosts UP’s interline Falcon Premium intermodal service run in conjunction with Canadian National and Ferromex, as well as the UP-Ferromex Eagle Premium service.
“Union Pacific customers’ shipments continue to be impacted by the actions of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to close the rail interchange at Eagle Pass, Texas,” UP said in a customer advisory today. “While there is not yet an estimated time on when the CBP will reopen the Eagle Pass gateway, we remain in close communication with multiple government agencies and our customers. Union Pacific’s leadership team is traveling to Eagle Pass today to work with local officials to reopen the gateway. In the meantime, we are working with customers on alternative routes where feasible.”
The railroad is staging trains that were already en route to Eagle Pass. Others are being held at origin to alleviate congestion near the border, UP said.
“Once the gateway reopens, our goal is to quickly get trains launched and restore cross-border movement,” UP said.
UP and BNSF both have embargoed shipments moving through Eagle Pass. BNSF also put an embargo on traffic headed for the El Paso gateway, which has been slowed by the Ferromex decision to temporarily suspend northbound traffic. Ferromex had been holding as many as 60 northbound trains.
Yesterday Ferromex said it would allow northbound trains to operate so long as routes were safe.
Canadian Pacific Kansas City’s border crossing at Laredo, Texas – the top rail gateway to Mexico – remains unaffected and is operating normally. UP also interchanges with CPKC de Mexico via Laredo.
Rick Paterson, an analyst with Loop Capital Markets, said in a note to clients today that it’s unlikely the wave of migrants will affect CPKC operations on the former Kansas City Southern de Mexico.
“In our view it’s unlikely because KCSM has always maintained a security force that has dwarfed that of Ferromex,” Paterson wrote. “There’s less loss and damage and far fewer hobos on KCSM. If anything, this may be a temporary opportunity for KCSM if traffic is re-routed via Laredo, although clearly not one we should be celebrating.”
You can thank brandon for this fuster cluck.
Sounds like UP needs to help Ferromex up their security force numbers, like KCS de Mexico has done… A gun in the hand of someone willing to use it speaks volumes to those who believe lawlessness is the way to get what you want…
Of course, suggesting to use a gun against innocent, unarmed civilians seeking a better life… how insightful.
I didn’t say they had to use it. I said a gun visible to lawless people would make them think twice.
Maybe you can find out for us what the KCS de Mexico security guards have been doing to reduce train riders. Apparently they have been very successful, as the article pointed out.