NUEVO LAREDO, TAMPS.- Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) inaugurated the “Patrick J. Ottensmeyer” International Railway Bridge , an infrastructure that, after 19 months of work, will double the company’s capacity on the border, specifically at the point between Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, and Laredo, Texas, strengthening trade between Mexico, the United States and Canada.
The bridge is named after Patrick J. Ottensmeyer , the company’s late president and CEO, who was instrumental in consolidating the railroad industry in North America.
“Now, his legacy will be present beyond our hearts through a tribute worthy of the leader he was for us,” said Oscar Del Cueto, president of CPKC Mexico.
With an investment of 100 million dollars , this project is consolidated as the first double railway bridge in the region, making Nuevo Laredo the only border point with two railway bridges, according to Del Cueto.
“On average we exchange 28 to 32 trains daily, with an average of 100-120 cars per train, and this new bridge gives us the capacity to double these numbers. This is an investment that connects and reaffirms the importance of the railway and obviously the connectivity with the three countries,” said Del Cueto.
The director highlighted that the new bridge, built just 35 feet from the existing one, has a new track extension of 1,375 meters , so the expansion allows for an integral connection with the already established networks, eliminating the traditional six-hour “windows” that delayed the crossing and optimizing cargo transit.
The infrastructure also incorporates modern equipment that guarantees a safe and efficient crossing , such as VACIS scanners and advanced surveillance camera systems, which facilitate non-intrusive inspections (NIIS) and unified cargo processing.
This innovation allows CPKC’s international crews to operate without border interruptions, eliminating downtime that impacted trade flow.
“Our priority is to offer a safe and agile crossing. The issue of safety is very important to us, but so is coordination with the authorities, so the railway is not only less polluting, it is more economical and it is safer for transporting goods,” explained Del Cueto.
For her part, Carmen Lilia Canturosas , municipal president of Nuevo Laredo, highlighted that this bridge marks an important step forward in strengthening the transportation infrastructure and consolidating Nuevo Laredo’s position as the epicenter of international trade.
“Nuevo Laredo has emerged as the number one land port in the Americas, being the customs office with the highest collection, since more than 40% of the commercial exchange between Mexico and the United States passes through here, underlining the strategic importance of the two Laredos in world trade,” he said.
Likewise, Américo Villarreal , governor of Tamaulipas, emphasized the regional impact of this vital and strategic infrastructure that increases operational capacity and cargo mobility at this point.
“This should be understood as a message of certainty that is being spread from here, from Nuevo Laredo, which has been for decades one of the points where the greatest exchange of international trade takes place in the North American corridor,” he said.
The governor added that Tamaulipas is a strategic and highly valuable logistics platform , being the maritime and land border with the greatest commercial movement, even recognized as one of the most dynamic and busiest in the world.
Jesús Antonio Esteva, head of the Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT) , representing President Claudia Sheinbaum, emphasized the symbolism of this bridge due to its commercial and economic importance.
“This bridge is an economic symbol and a symbol of the importance of the trade agreement between the three countries. Thanks to this bridge, it will be possible to transport goods in a faster, more efficient and safer way from central Mexico to Canada,” he said.
In addition, Andrés Lajous, director of the Railway Transport Regulatory Agency (ARTF) , reinforced this message by highlighting that this bridge has a double track, which will be crucial to increasing the railway cargo that transits this border, which represents around 53% of the total railway cargo in the country.
“With this bridge, the transit of more than 3,500 loaded cars daily will be facilitated, which translates into a volume of 69 million tons annually. This is a very important step towards the growth of our international trade,” said Lajous.
He added that the Mexican government is committed to doubling the amount of cargo moved through the country’s rail system, allowing trade between Mexico, the United States and Canada to grow even further.
This new infrastructure will facilitate the movement of a wide variety of products , from finished vehicles, household appliances, steel and cement, to auto parts and agricultural products such as grains, soybeans, beans and lentils.
This inauguration is part of an ambitious comprehensive modernization plan by CPKC, which includes an additional 100 million dollars for improvements in other key areas of Mexico , such as Monterrey, Pesquería, Celaya and San Luis Potosí, in coordination with the federal government.
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