Mexico rail blockades delaying shipments to and from U.S.
October 4th, 2020
September 29, 2020 - TRA Newswire -
Ongoing railroad blockades by protestors in Mexico are delaying shipments of crude oil and other products to and from U.S. ports of entry, according to rail officials.
Measures to control Covid-19 have added to the woes of railroad lines in Mexico, which have been blocked by protestors on and off during the entire year. Teachers and student teachers protesting pay and job security have shut down rail line Kansas City Southern de Mexico (KCSM) in Michoacan since August, preventing trains from reaching the port of Lazaro Cardenas on Mexico's west coast. In the state of Chihuahua, farmers protesting water rights have been blocking the lines of Mexican carrier Ferromex.
KCSM President Oscar Del Cueto said that this has been "the worst year for railroads in the last four years" due to the protests. "We are working closely with the authorities to solve this issue as soon as possible."
BNSF Railway's El Paso gateway to Mexico has been especially hard hit with trains backed up for days. BNSF has rerouted some rail traffic through Eagle Pass, Texas which is one of several Texas-Mexico rail crossings over the Rio Grande.
Raquel Espinoza, a spokeswoman for Union Pacific Railroad said the situation has interrupted the railroad company’s operation in El Paso, Texas. Espinoza said “while Union Pacific is rerouting rail traffic through other border crossings, customers are experiencing extended delays and disruptions to critical supply chains.”
The protests are unrelated to any railroad action, which means that rail officials must wait for federal authorities to resolve the issues. The blockades are impacting energy products, steel and grain that move daily in cross-border rail transit.
Ongoing railroad blockades by protestors in Mexico are delaying shipments of crude oil and other products to and from U.S. ports of entry, according to rail officials.
Measures to control Covid-19 have added to the woes of railroad lines in Mexico, which have been blocked by protestors on and off during the entire year. Teachers and student teachers protesting pay and job security have shut down rail line Kansas City Southern de Mexico (KCSM) in Michoacan since August, preventing trains from reaching the port of Lazaro Cardenas on Mexico's west coast. In the state of Chihuahua, farmers protesting water rights have been blocking the lines of Mexican carrier Ferromex.
KCSM President Oscar Del Cueto said that this has been "the worst year for railroads in the last four years" due to the protests. "We are working closely with the authorities to solve this issue as soon as possible."
BNSF Railway's El Paso gateway to Mexico has been especially hard hit with trains backed up for days. BNSF has rerouted some rail traffic through Eagle Pass, Texas which is one of several Texas-Mexico rail crossings over the Rio Grande.
Raquel Espinoza, a spokeswoman for Union Pacific Railroad said the situation has interrupted the railroad company’s operation in El Paso, Texas. Espinoza said “while Union Pacific is rerouting rail traffic through other border crossings, customers are experiencing extended delays and disruptions to critical supply chains.”
The protests are unrelated to any railroad action, which means that rail officials must wait for federal authorities to resolve the issues. The blockades are impacting energy products, steel and grain that move daily in cross-border rail transit.