NORTH AMERICA: Canadian Pacific Railway and Kansas City Southern have trialled a direct intermodal service linking the Mexican port of Lázaro Cárdenas with Chicago.
CP says the first international through train to be operated over the route was aimed at bypassing the delays caused by a supply chain crisis affecting ports on the US West Coast. The inaugural train reached CP’s Bensenville Yard in Chicago on March 8 following a seven-day journey.
‘This Mexico-to-Midwest train is a proof of concept and a sign of things to come if a combined Canadian Pacific Kansas City network is approved by the Surface Transportation Board’, explained CP President & CEO Keith Creel. Although CP completed its US$31bn purchase of KCS on December 14, the smaller railroad is being held in an independent voting trust pending regulatory approval of the planned merger.
CP envisages that a regular intermodal service between Lázaro Cárdenas and Chicago could offer a competitive alternative to existing rail and road options, and says it is committed to investing in new routes and services once the merger has been authorised.
‘With STB approval, CPKC will work with our customers and invest in new infrastructure and train services to unlock the full potential of the combined network to offer unmatched supply chain alternatives and benefits compared to other rail options through congested ports and a real alternative to highway-clogging trucks’, Creel added. ‘I would envision creating a new Mexico Midwest Express interline service that could deliver all of these benefits.’
