BNSF Railway  is strengthening its commitment to Mexico in an environment where North American logistics are becoming increasingly integrated. Through the expansion of intermodal services , the development of temperature-controlled supply chain solutions, and a strategic assessment of the opportunities offered by the Mexican market, the U.S. railroad is outlining a strategy that combines operational growth, innovation, and efficiency to offer more reliable and lower-cost transportation options to customers operating in cross-border corridors. 

The company maintains its focus on a seamless cross-border supply chain for goods moving between Mexico, the United States, and Canada. “There has been steady growth in the movement of goods between Mexico and the United States, and we view this trend positively. From our perspective, anything that supports the consistency and expansion of these flows is beneficial ,” says Paul Hirsch, Assistant Vice President of BNSF’s Mexico Business Unit, in an interview. For customers, this consistency translates directly into more predictable transit times, better inventory control, and greater service reliability. 

In this context, the railway is driving solutions and innovations designed to minimize costs , simplify processes, and offer greater flexibility to shippers moving cargo along cross-border corridors, while also providing an excellent solution for reducing carbon footprints. One of the most significant opportunities identified by the company is the development of the intermodal corridor to Alliance, Texas, which connects Mexico with key U.S. markets as a more efficient, scalable, and cost-effective alternative to the traditional crossing through Laredo. 

“At BNSF, we see that customers can benefit from using Alliance, Texas, as an alternative to Laredo, with faster transit times, lower costs, and a simplified supply chain. This approach streamlines cross-border movements and reduces exposure to border complexity and congestion. For example, import shipments from Mexico typically use two trucks: one to Laredo and another from Laredo to the final destination, which increases costs and complexity. By leveraging intermodal service from Mexico, customers can avoid this situation, access ample rail capacity available throughout the corridor, reduce overall logistics costs, and improve shipment consistency,” explains Hirsch.

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El cargo BNSF doubles down on its commitment to Mexico with new intermodal and logistics services apareció primero en T21.

The pressure to accelerate logistics chains between Mexico and the southeastern United States is leading railroads to compete in territory historically dominated by trucking. In this context, Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) and CSX Corporation (CSX) announced on Wednesday improvements to their premium Southeast Mexico Express (SMX) service, an intermodal initiative that seeks to gain competitiveness in transit times and expand rail reach to key markets in the region.

The companies reported that, since May 4, the service has been operating with a new schedule and route scheme that, according to the companies, allows them to offer transit times “competitive with trucks” between markets in the southeastern United States – such as Atlanta, Charlotte and Central Florida – and destinations in Texas and Mexico, including Dallas and Monterrey.

This is a significant change. The new SMX configuration reduces transit times on all previously available routes. Among the most notable adjustments is an improvement of approximately one day between Atlanta and Dallas, as well as a reduction of nearly 2.5 days between Atlanta and central Mexico , a corridor where time and operational consistency are critical factors for industries such as automotive, intermodal, and vehicle freight.

The improvements, the companies explained, stem from investments in rail infrastructure on the former Meridian & Bigbee Railroad (MNBR) corridor, including track work, bridges and signaling systems, as well as additional investments along the corridor that runs through Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.

“These service enhancements, which provide approximately a 20 to 45 percent improvement in SMX transit times, reflect our ongoing commitment to providing more advanced and flexible transportation solutions to our customers who are looking for innovative ways to reach new markets,” said Keith Creel, president and CEO of CPKC.

The executive stated that the alliance with CSX allows them to build a rail alternative that is difficult to replicate in the regional market. “Together with CSX, the SMX offers a level of speed, flexibility, and reliability that reaches additional growth markets in the southeastern United States. This is a premium rail solution that cannot be replicated because we have the best route connecting carriers to Texas and Mexico, which will allow more trucks to switch to rail,” he added.

For his part, Steve Angel, president and CEO of CSX, noted that the improvements are part of a strategy to strengthen the rail corridor between the two regions. “The enhanced SMX service demonstrates the long-term investments CSX has made to strengthen this corridor and provide more consistent and reliable service to our customers,” he said.

Under the new operating model, the dedicated SMX service will offer two-day transit between Atlanta and Dallas; three days between Monterrey and Atlanta; and four days from central Mexico to Atlanta . In addition, the airlines have added new origin and destination points, expanding coverage to Charlotte, Jacksonville, and Central Florida.

The rail investment also reflects the operational restructuring resulting from the acquisitions of segments of the former Meridian & Bigbee Railroad by both CPKC and CSX. This reconfiguration allowed for the establishment of a direct Class I-to-Class I rail interchange near Myrtlewood, Alabama, enabling an east-west corridor with greater freight capacity between the southeastern United States, Texas, and Mexico.

The service, originally launched in December 2024, has begun attracting logistics operators interested in rail corridors with performance closer to that of road transport. One of them is Schneider National , a firm specializing in multimodal and intermodal transport.

“Schneider has seen firsthand the value of ongoing collaboration with our rail partners to bring innovative new intermodal products to market,” said Mark Rourke, president and CEO of Schneider. “The enhanced Southeast Mexico Express offers more reliable, truck-like service, making it an attractive option for shippers looking to transport goods between Texas, Mexico, and the southeastern United States.”

Although the railway companies’ discourse focuses on efficiency and sustainability, the underlying issue also points to increasingly aggressive competition to capture cargo traditionally transported by road. According to the companies, each SMX service train could replace up to 300 tractor-trailer trucks , a narrative that combines environmental pressure, operational efficiency, and available capacity in corridors where trucking faces growing challenges of congestion and cost.

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JIUTEPEC, MOR.- Freight transport is no longer just facing pressure to be more efficient, but also to adapt to an increasingly uncertain environment. Disruptions—from weather events to logistical blockades—are no longer isolated incidents but have become a constant that forces a rethinking of operations.

During the panel “Sustainability from multimodal freight transport” , held at the 4th Meeting on Technology and Sustainable Mobility of the  National Association of Private Transport (ANTP) , the focus started from the warning that the sector is moving between the need to reduce emissions and the urgency of responding to increasingly frequent disruptions.

From academia, Angélica Lozano, senior researcher at the Institute of Engineering of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) , explained that freight transport is a significant contributor to greenhouse gases, but also one of the most vulnerable to phenomena such as floods, hurricanes or logistical blockages, which directly affect the continuity of supply chains .

In this context, resilience ceases to be an aspirational concept and becomes an operational condition. Recent events (such as the pandemic or disruptions in logistics corridors) have highlighted the fragility of the system and the need to rethink its design.

Faced with this scenario, multimodal transport  emerges as an alternative to improve both environmental performance and operational efficiency.

However, Lozano warned that its implementation is not automatic: it depends on factors such as infrastructure, the location of terminals and operation in urban areas, where new impacts such as congestion or higher emissions can be generated

From an operational standpoint, Marco Ávila, Director of Primary Distribution Transportation at Coca-Cola FEMSA , grounded these challenges in the business reality. He explained that energy efficiency—measured in tons transported per liter of fuel—has become central to operational decisions, where combining different modes of transport allows for improved results.

In his experience, rail integration has shown clear benefits in fuel consumption and cargo capacity , although he acknowledged that the infrastructure still limits its potential in the country. He also emphasized that reducing empty trips represents one of the main opportunities to improve efficiency.

Added to this are new technological tests , such as the use of hydrogen cells to enrich diesel combustion, which have allowed improvements of between 10% and 17% in fuel efficiency , with a direct impact on reducing emissions.

For his part, Francisco Kim, Head of Logistics and International Operations at Fábrica de Jabón La Corona , highlighted the need to understand transportation as a complete chain, where the first and last mile, as well as terminal operations, are crucial for achieving sustainable results.

The panelists agreed that the challenge becomes more complex in urban environments. The growth of e-commerce has intensified the pressure on last-mile delivery, where congestion, a lack of loading and unloading zones, and the occupation of public space complicate operations.

At this point, the consensus was that the solution does not depend solely on businesses. The lack of land-use planning, fragmented regulations at the municipal level, and the absence of adequate logistics infrastructure remain structural obstacles that drive up costs and reduce efficiency.

Thus, the sustainability of freight transport is not defined solely by the type of fuel or technology used, but by the ability to coordinate operations, infrastructure, and public policy in an environment where disruption is already part of everyday life.

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El cargo Multimodal transport: between efficiency and lack of infrastructure apareció primero en T21.

Nearshoring , industrial growth, and the need for more efficient and sustainable logistics solutions in the Cali-Baja region are among the opportunities for freight rail to drive its growth. Baja California Railroad (BJRR) , operator of the short-gauge rail line in northwest Mexico, knows the path forward and has a defined plan for 2026 to ensure that this mode of transport is not just an alternative, but becomes the primary logistics option for industry.

“The development of customs infrastructure, binational integration, and market diversification can position rail as the ideal means for transporting large volumes of cargo, particularly in sectors such as energy, agribusiness, and advanced manufacturing. The Cali-Baja mega-region has enormous potential due to its productive integration between Mexico and the United States,” says Roberto Romandía, the company’s CEO, in an interview with T21.

He asserts that strengthening cross-border trade, optimizing rail crossing times, and promoting integrated logistics schemes will attract more companies seeking to reduce costs and improve their international competitiveness . “The trend of industrial relocation also represents a great opportunity to consolidate rail as the backbone of logistics.”

Romandía argues that the railroad is vital for Baja California , since the region has more than a thousand maquiladoras that depend on efficient and competitive supply chains, and this mode of transport offers capacity, safety, cost reduction, less environmental impact and operational stability.

“Many companies are facing complex situations related to union issues, work stoppages, and internal cost pressures. The rail model allows maquiladoras to reduce their internal operating burden—less need for their own operators, less exposure to labor disputes in ground logistics, and less dependence on union schemes in transportation—which has become a strategic asset. Furthermore, they will soon be able to optimize returns to the United States with finished products, further reducing their costs,” he mentions.

The second edition of ETYL Cali-Baja (Transportation and Logistics Meeting) will take place on May 14th.  This forum, organized by  Grupo T21  , will bring together industry leaders and nearly 200 attendees at the Real Inn Hotel in Tijuana. Through four panels, specialists will analyze the  challenges and opportunities in the binational logistics context and their impact on supply chains . For more information about ETYL Cali-Baja, please visit  https://baja.etylmx.com/ .

If you wish to continue reading this text published in the April 2026 edition of T21 magazine, we invite you to consult the digital version by clicking here .

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During 2025, auto parts, accessories, batteries, tires, and corn were the most stolen products in rail transport in Mexico, according to the Agency of Trains and Integrated Public Transport (ATTRAPI) .

According to data from the agency, the five states with the most robbery incidents during the period were Coahuila, Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, Sonora, and Sinaloa .

However, ATTRAPI highlighted that, as a result of actions taken in railway security, reports of railway robbery decreased by 6.8% in 2025 compared to 2024 .

He specified that from January to December 2025, four thousand 002 theft reports were filed compared to the four thousand 298 filed in the same period.

The industrial products group accounted for 79.10% of the total theft reports, followed by agricultural products, with 18.31 percent.

Regarding product or cargo theft, the most affected subgroups during the period were:

• Other industrial products, with 21.04% of the total reports.
• Consumer goods, with 17.22 percent.
• Auto parts, with 16.83 percent.
• Grains, seeds and their derivatives, with 13.48 percent.

The agency stated that within the subgroup of other industrial products, accessories accounted for 59.23% of the reports. In the case of consumer goods, batteries accounted for 41.61%.

Meanwhile, within the auto parts subgroup, tires were the most frequently stolen item , accounting for 94.37 percent of thefts. For grains, seeds, and their derivatives, corn was the most stolen product , representing 57.98 percent of reported thefts.

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During 2025, auto parts, accessories, batteries, tires, and corn were the most stolen products in rail transport in Mexico, according to the Agency of Trains and Integrated Public Transport (ATTRAPI) .

According to data from the agency, the five states with the most robbery incidents during the period were Coahuila, Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, Sonora, and Sinaloa .

However, ATTRAPI highlighted that, as a result of actions taken in railway security, reports of railway robbery decreased by 6.8% in 2025 compared to 2024 .

He specified that from January to December 2025, four thousand 002 theft reports were filed compared to the four thousand 298 filed in the same period.

The industrial products group accounted for 79.10% of the total theft reports, followed by agricultural products, with 18.31 percent.

Regarding product or cargo theft, the most affected subgroups during the period were:

• Other industrial products, with 21.04% of the total reports.
• Consumer goods, with 17.22 percent.
• Auto parts, with 16.83 percent.
• Grains, seeds and their derivatives, with 13.48 percent.

The agency stated that within the subgroup of other industrial products, accessories accounted for 59.23% of the reports. In the case of consumer goods, batteries accounted for 41.61%.

Meanwhile, within the auto parts subgroup, tires were the most frequently stolen item , accounting for 94.37 percent of thefts. For grains, seeds, and their derivatives, corn was the most stolen product , representing 57.98 percent of reported thefts.

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El cargo These were the most stolen products on the railroad in Mexico during 2025 apareció primero en T21.

Railcar manufacturers agreed that innovation and the use of new technologies applied to railcars allow for better cargo handling, providing greater certainty to rail users compared to road transport.

Luis Pardo, executive vice president at Trinity Industries , said that through innovation it is possible to increase payload , reduce energy consumption and the life cycle cost of cars.

“In the United States, it is estimated that 70% of railcars are underutilized, or are not on time, ready, or in service, so physical improvements can increase payload, as well as energy or life cycle, but they do not contribute to the efficient use of railcars as visibility, data analysis, and technology do,” he explained during the webinar “ Innovations in Railcar Design for Operational Efficiency ,” organized by the Mexican Association of Railroads (AMF) .

Therefore, the company has made structural improvements to the units, such as reduced weight, smaller size, stronger structures, new materials—such as resins—and components.

“In the dry cargo van, thanks to the engineers’ analysis and listening to the customers, we were able to improve the design and reduce the weight by five thousand pounds, which is 2.3 tons that translates into increased payload. This also helped make loading and unloading more efficient. In the manufacturing process, we found efficiencies by having a structure with a more plant-friendly manufacturing process,” Pardo emphasized.

He also mentioned that in the case of the hopper, they made structural changes to allow for heavier loads, while for car carriers, there is more space for maneuvering. As for the tank cars, they use resin for better sealing and to prevent corrosion.

“These are improvements made to the design of the cars in conjunction with the talent of our people and the needs of the client. Improvements that help us reduce weight and fuel consumption are one thing, but where real efficiency in railway operations can be achieved is in the implementation of systems that allow us to read data, make decisions, and correct them, especially now with artificial intelligence (AI),” he stated.

He said that the industry installs sensors to obtain certain data, such as location, conditions and health of the car, which helps them to know if the handbrake is on, among other factors.

Meanwhile, Juan Carlos Hernández, Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering Manager at The Greenbrier Companies , explained that the actions they are taking are focused on the safety and resistance of critical loads.

“We have a super high-strength gondola, made of grade 100 steel, an innovation in the rail industry that increases load capacity to 15,000 pounds. It is important to give capacity to the vehicles and railcars, while also reducing space and increasing their useful life and fatigue life,” he commented.

Among other tests, he said that the train cars undergo compression testing to ensure there is no deformation and to extend their lifespan.

The specialist predicted that in the coming years new steels will be used that allow for greater rigidity , load capacity and safety in movement, among other things.

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In the document “Railway Pulse: Operation and Safety January-December 2025” , the agency specified that 128.94 million tons were transported throughout 2025 compared to 132.78 million tons in 2024.

Of the total, foreign trade represented 76.3% and despite persistent tariff uncertainty, international traffic showed a growth of 2.4% in the January-December period of last year compared to 2024.

This progress was driven by an increase in imports and exports of 2.3% and 2.9%, respectively.

Of the total international traffic, imports represented 76.5% of the volume , with 75.36 million tons, while exports contributed 23.4%, with 23.03 million tons.

“In this environment, the border crossings of Nuevo Laredo and Piedras Negras consolidated their position as the main rail and land transport hubs between Mexico and the United States, concentrating 67.7% of imports and 63.9% of exports. Their relative weight confirms the strategic relevance of these routes in shaping bilateral trade,” ATTRAPI stated.

The ports of Veracruz and Manzanillo stood out as key rail receiving points for maritime cargo, accounting for 71.6% of imports transferred to this transport, mainly from Europe, Asia and South America .

Regarding exports, Guaymas and Mazatlán channeled 39.2% of the maritime volume moved by rail, “which underlines their role in the export of Mexican products to international markets.”

During that period, the main products transported were industrial products with 46.8% of the total cargo, agricultural products with 30.4%, and oil and its derivatives with 12.8 percent .

ATTRAPI indicated that from January to December 2025, Ferromex and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) of Mexico concentrated the majority volume of rail freight moved, with shares of 46.9% and 39.3%, respectively.

Grupo México ‘s subsidiary transported 60.52 million tons in 2025, representing a 3.1 percent year-on-year decrease. CPKC de México reached 50.68 million tons, a slight decline of 1.8 percent. Ferrosur moved 13.45 million tons, equivalent to 10.4% of the total, a 7.7% drop compared to 2024.

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Union Pacific (UP) and Norfolk Southern (NSC) submitted their application to the Surface Transportation Board (STB) on Friday , requesting approval to merge the two U.S. railroads.

The application, nearly seven thousand pages long, includes a record two thousand letters of support from stakeholders, joining shareholders of both companies who cast 99% of their votes in favor of the merger.

“We look forward to working with the Board as it reviews our historic application to create America’s first transcontinental railroad. As time and technology continue to transform how goods are delivered, our industry must keep pace and move forward, reaching underserved markets with new rail solutions and strengthening America’s supply chain,” said Jim Vena, CEO of UP.

He noted that this merger will connect the United States from coast to coast , transforming 10,000 existing interline service routes into a faster and more efficient single-line service, eliminating time-consuming transfers between railroads.

It will also eliminate approximately 2,400 railcars and containers and 60,000 rail-miles each day, competing more effectively with long-distance road transport, converting about two million road freight loads to rail annually.

In addition, it will provide one-way access to more than 100 ports connecting to global markets and 10 international gateways to markets in Canada and Mexico.

“ This combination will bring together UP’s extensive western reach and NS’s unmatched access to the East’s manufacturing and population centers in an end-to-end combination. It will create a coherent freight rail solution with 50,000 miles of routes connecting 43 states and more than 100 ports,” said Mark George, president and CEO of Norfolk Southern.

Following this announcement, Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) announced that it formally received the UP-NS merger request and will review it thoroughly in the coming days.

“We will examine the application from at least two perspectives: whether it complies with the Board’s 2001 Major Merger Rules and whether it provides the STB and stakeholders with an adequate basis for assessing the public interest consequences of the proposed UP-NS merger,” he said.

He mentioned that the first step in the STB’s merger review process is to determine, before January 18, 2026, whether to accept the application for consideration or reject it as incomplete.

“If approved, the merger would pose extraordinary and far-reaching risks to customers, rail employees, and supply chains in general. We are confident that the STB will conduct a rigorous process to assess all the short- and long-term impacts on the public interest of this proposed behemoth, including the competition that rail customers face today,” he said.

Meanwhile, Katie Farmer, president and CEO of BNSF , commented that they are reviewing the STB’s presentation, although she clarified that “so far, BNSF’s opposition to the proposed merger remains unchanged.”

“The transaction poses a significant threat to the American economy and consumers due to its long-term competitive disadvantages. It would leave carriers with fewer options, leading to higher fares and ultimately higher prices for consumers. This did not begin with customers calling for this merger, and the claimed public benefits appear to accrue primarily to shareholders. Past mergers demonstrate the risk of serious service disruptions with destructive impacts on customers, the rail network, and the nation’s economy,” he said.

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The Railway Transport Regulatory Agency (ARTF) announced that reports of railway robberies decreased by 12.5% ​​from January to June 2025 , compared to the same period last year.

According to information published by the agency, in the first six months of the year, 2,005 reports of theft were registered , compared to 2,293 cases in the same period of 2024.

The ARTF specified that the group of industrial products represented 74.2% of the total theft reports, followed by agricultural products, with 23.2% of the reported incidents.

Regarding product or cargo theft, the most affected subgroups during the period were:

• Other industrial products, with 18.56% of the total incidents.
• Grains, seeds and their derivatives, with 16.85 percent.
• Consumer goods, with 16.37 percent.

Overall, the agency noted, these three subgroups accounted for 51.78% of all theft incidents .

“Within the subgroup of other industrial products, accessories accounted for 58.53% of the reports. In the case of grains, seeds and their derivatives, the product with the highest incidence of theft was corn, with a 53.76% share within the subgroup, and for the subgroup of consumer goods, the most affected product was batteries, with 41.6%,” he explained.

The ARTF reported that Coahuila, Aguascalientes, Sonora and Sinaloa were the entities with the highest number of actions of this type, with 398, 270, 215 and 200, respectively, in the reference period.

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El cargo Railroad robberies decrease in the first half of 2025 apareció primero en T21.