Union Pacific (UP) reported that Mexican crews have begun moving trains from a rail yard in Mexico to one near Eagle Pass, Texas, improving safety and reducing the time required for these types of maneuvers.

The railway company stated that this change, which began on November 20, reduces by 50% the time it takes to move trains across the international bridge compared to the previous method of changing personnel at that point.

“ This change improves crew safety, strengthens border security, and creates a smoother process at this key rail gateway . Interchanging trains within a secure rail yard is a proven method and allows us to operate more safely and efficiently,” said Eric Gehringer, UP Executive Vice President of Operations.

In this regard, Ferromex ‘s Mexican partner crews will now travel seven miles (approximately 11.2 kilometers) from the border to the nearby Eagle Pass yard , where they will be handed off to a U.S. crew. This follows their training and qualification by Union Pacific , including certification under Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) standards .

Meanwhile, the railroad’s employees will continue to manage all operations based in the United States, including incoming train control, railcar shunting, outgoing train construction, and service to local customers.

The company noted that prior to this updated process, personnel changes at Eagle Pass were conducted on the single-track international bridge, forcing trains to stop while crews disembarked and recrossed the structure. This process took between 30 and 40 minutes and increased the time a train remained idle at the site , increasing crew exposure and the risk of blocked level crossings, vandalism, theft, or other safety concerns.

“Moving the link to a controlled rail yard reduces these risks and allows for a safer and more efficient transition. Furthermore, seamless transshipments at the border improve the rail industry’s ability to compete and reduce truck traffic,” he emphasized.

He indicated that the updated procedure is part of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Federal Secure Corridor Initiative , as well as the results of the pilot project conducted earlier this year.

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Union Pacific (UP) has deemed the Green Eagle Railroad (GER) project unnecessary , stating that current capacity is sufficient to meet rail demand at Eagle Pass , the second busiest crossing between the United States and Mexico.

In submitting a document outlining a series of factors that would harm its operation due to this project to the Surface Transportation Board (STB) in the United States, following the publication of the environmental analysis for this new infrastructure, it indicated that the company’s request for exemption must be denied.

“The board should deny the petition filed by Green Eagle Railroad, requesting an exemption to construct and operate a new rail line. GER’s proposal is inconsistent with public convenience and necessity. There are significant questions about whether its operation would be less efficient and more costly than existing service, whether its operation would impair current services provided by Union Pacific and BNSF , and whether it is financially viable. The board should conclude that the additional information that would be provided in a complete application is required,” he argued.

It is worth remembering that GER, a subsidiary of Puerto Verde Holdings (PVH) , proposed the construction and operation of a second railway bridge between  Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras, approximately 1.3 miles (just over two kilometers) , which seeks to expedite trade between the United States and Mexico, as it would alleviate rail and truck congestion and reduce cross-border wait times, among other benefits.

The line would be a double-track rail corridor with no highway/rail grade crossings extending from the UP interchange near Clark’s Park Shipyard, crossing the Rio Grande on a newly constructed bridge, fully fenced, manned and patrolled by security personnel, and including a new vehicle roadway.

Union Pacific emphasized that together with BNSF , they move approximately 19 trains per day . At the border, they exchange traffic directly with Ferromex , which supports their cross-border operations from the Río Escondido yard, located approximately 9.9 miles south of the border.

The railroad announced it is working with Grupo México Transportes (GMXT) subsidiary to move cross-border crew changes from the bridge to the Clark’s Park yard , reducing the time trains spend on the bridge and improving safety, service, and capacity. It will also build a new track at the north end of the yard that would allow it to prepare southbound trains for northbound operations, improving operational flow.

“The northbound lead project is advancing in design, and construction could begin as early as 2026. Third, plans are being developed to extend its main track at the southern end of the Clark’s Park yard to complete a second main line to the border, allowing for two-way traffic. The double-track project is in the early planning stages, and if necessary to accommodate traffic growth, construction could begin in 2028,” he said.

He also stated that the bill would increase the number of carriers required to complete cross-border movements, and therefore their complexity and cost, but would not increase the number of independent routing options available to shippers.

“GER does not appear to have a viable plan to operate its proposed line without disrupting existing service offered by UP and BNSF. GER’s request does not address the practical problems that would arise from moving cross-border trains averaging 9,300 feet in length, while only 1,335 miles of new track would be built between the border and its connection to the Eagle Pass Subdivision,” he stated.

Noting a number of complications, UP said the additional work and congestion would increase transportation costs and reduce service quality, among other impacts .

“GER is not proposing to create an entirely new rail service option or a competitive alternative to existing rail services; it is simply proposing to insert an additional rail carrier into the existing cross-border routes of UP-Ferromex and BNSF-Ferromex,” he stated.

Last August, the STB’s Office of Environmental Analysis (OEA) published and approved the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the GER project. The draft EIS analyzes the proposal’s impacts on its northern and southern rail alternatives, the latter being the best option and the one that would extend between the existing UP main line.

The Surface Transportation Board will now consider the merits of the transportation project and the entire environmental record, including the draft EIS, the final EIS, and all comments received, to make a final decision.

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As part of a border security initiative, Union Pacific (UP) tested a new interchange process that allows Mexico-based crews to travel a short distance to the United States to deliver and receive trains at its Eagle Pass, Texas, yard.

“This new crew change location improves safety by reducing the amount of time trains are stopped on the single-track bridge,” said Rick Lichtas, the railroad’s assistant vice president of Network and Capital Planning.

Additionally, he noted that it also improves the fluidity of the exchange process , “which makes our service product more competitive.

The new exchange was requested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as part of the federal government’s Safe Corridor Initiative .

He said the new process would align Eagle Pass with other U.S. border crossings , where this is already common practice, including along the northern border with Canada and the southern border in Laredo, Texas.

Currently in Eagle Pass, crew changes take place on the single-track border rail bridge. Trains come to a complete stop so the crew can disembark and walk back to their side of the border. For security reasons, the train cannot continue until the crew clears the bridge and CBP confirms it is safe to proceed through x-ray scanners. This process can take 30 to 40 minutes , increasing the risk of blocked crossings, theft, and vandalism.

During the recent pilot test, a Ferromex crew operated a northbound train from the bridge to the nearest UP rail yard, located seven miles across the border. At this point, CBP officers met with the crew and reviewed their documentation. The crew then boarded a southbound train and returned to their nearest yard in Mexico.

This process was monitored and controlled at the Bilingual Command Center located at the Eagle Pass depot. The participating crews were trained by the railroad and certified under the Federal Railroad Administration rules for the territory in which they operate.

With the pilot successfully completed, Union Pacific is now working to finalize agreements with Ferromex and CBP . Union Pacific crews will continue to be responsible for taking control of trains from across the border, building outbound trains, and operating local service.

“Seamless border transfers improve the rail industry’s ability to compete and remove trucks from the road. Customers on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border will benefit from enhanced security,” Lichtas said.

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El cargo Union Pacific conducts pilot test with Mexican crews within the U.S. apareció primero en T21.

The U.S. government has granted permission to Maverick County, Texas, to construct, maintain, and operate a vehicle, pedestrian, and rail crossing between Texas and Coahuila, a project proposed by Green Eagle Railroad (GER).

In this regard, a bridge will be built, along with its access points and any associated land, structures, facilities, or equipment. It will be located approximately two miles north of Eagle Pass Bridge I, at the northwest edge of the city of Eagle Pass.

“The construction, maintenance, and operation of the border facilities will be carried out in all material aspects as described in the application dated October 17, 2023,” said the White House in a statement.

The permit signed by President Joe Biden details that the norms and forms of construction, maintenance, and operation of the federal, state, and local border facilities must be met, as well as mitigating environmental impacts, hazardous substances, and more.

Additionally, the requirements of the International Boundary and Water Commission, United States and Mexico, must be met, and the border facilities plan must be provided at the beginning of operations, among other requirements.

“Construction will not begin until the Department of State has notified that it has completed its exchange of diplomatic notes with the Government of Mexico regarding the authorization,” it stated.

Carlos Barreda Westphal, commercial representative of Stella-Jones in Mexico, considered that the construction of this new rail bridge, besides alleviating car traffic in Piedras Negras, will provide an alternative secondary crossing in the event of future border closures.

“This is an excellent signal for Mexico and especially for the incoming administration. From a political perspective, it is a clear sign of openness, opposed to the Republican idea of building a border wall, and in light of the USMCA review scheduled for mid-2026. From a commercial point of view, it is also great news because its purpose is to boost the commercial exchange of goods despite the migration incidents that occurred in the area during the last quarter of the previous year,” he said.

He also mentioned in an interview with T21 that it is a good signal from the country’s main trading partner, as it will encourage the arrival of capital investments to the northeastern region, where various companies plan to relocate in the coming years.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), Laredo, Eagle Pass, and El Paso are the main rail connection ports with Mexico.

For the first quarter of 2024, the total exchange between Mexico and the United States was $200.14 billion.

By rail: $24.341 billion (12.2% of the total).

Of the total rail exchange:

• Laredo contributes $10.542 billion (43.3% of the total).
• Eagle Pass contributes $8.581 billion (35.3% of the total).

Of the total exports from Mexico to the United States by rail, which amounted to $15.968 billion in the first quarter of 2024, Eagle Pass contributed $6.667 billion, that is, 42% of the total.

On April 1, T21 reported that the Surface Transportation Board (STB) in the United States would prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the construction and operation of this second rail bridge.

The company, a subsidiary of Puerto Verde Holdings (PVH), seeks to carry out this project between Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras, approximately 1.3 miles (a little over two kilometers), which aims to streamline binational trade between the United States and Mexico by easing rail and truck congestion and reducing cross-border wait times, among other benefits.

The line would be a double-track rail corridor with no road/rail crossings that would extend from the interchange point with Union Pacific (UP) near Clark’s Park yard, cross the Rio Grande on a newly constructed bridge, be fully fenced, monitored and patrolled by security personnel, and include a new vehicle road.

Additionally, it includes a control tower and inspection facilities for both the rail line and the road, with work carried out by Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Through this construction, a variety of goods would be moved. Trains would operate with approximately 150 cars with two locomotives at the front end and one at the rear.

This project requires authorization from the STB, which will analyze the draft EIS, the potential impacts related to transportation, air quality and climate change, noise and vibrations, biological, water, visual, and cultural resources, land use, geology and soils, energy resources, socioeconomics, environmental, cumulative, and cross-border impacts.

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