December 21, 2025 - TRA Newswire -

Just as the Trump administration has been cracking down on foreign truck drivers that can't read road signs or speak English, the Federal Railroad Administration has been inspecting trains at Texas border crossings and it has raised some safety concerns that have resulted in changes.

The FRA sent formal letters to Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) and Union Pacific Railroad to relook at their practices and make sure that Mexican rail crews that bring trains across the border to rail yards in Texas are fluent in operating instructions in English. 

Some of the Mexican engineers and conductors that drive freight trains across border bridges have had trouble understanding safety and operating information in English, according to a report from the Associated Press.

New restrictions mandate that Mexican crews can not operate trains more than 10 miles inside Texas, and other U.S. ports of entry once on American soil. Foreign crews that have not been certified in English proficiency are required to stop at the closest customs inspection point. If an interpreter is with the Mexican engineer and conductor, that person must also be certified under FRA safety and operational regulations. All safety documents are required to be maintained in English.

Once trains enter Texas rail yards at Laredo, Eagle Pass and other interchange points, U.S. railroad engineers and conductors assume control.  

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen union have raised concerns over safety, security and displacement of jobs, as interchange of crews previously occurred at border crossings. 

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said “Whether you’re operating an 80-ton big rig or a massive freight train, you need to be proficient in our national language, English. If you aren’t, you create an unacceptable safety risk.”

Inspectors from the Federal Railroad Administration had issues with rail yards in Laredo and Eagle Pass where Mexican train crews were not proficient in English. Railroads do maintain translators on hand, but FRA Administrator David Fink was concerned about how foreign crews understand operating bulletins, rules on hazardous materials, emergency responses, brake tests, and other critical information. 

BLET National President Mark Wallace said “the administration should be commended for standing up for border security, public safety and American jobs by creating stronger safety standards for crews that bring trains from Mexico to the United States. It’s critical that locomotive engineers are able to speak to dispatchers and first responders in English when trains are moving on U.S. soil.”

Photo credit: Texas Rail Advocates