BNSF Launches Intermodal Service Between Chicago and Silao, Mexico
BNSF Railway said it has launched intermodal service between Chicago and Silao, Mexico, in partnership with Ferromex, Mexico’s largest railroad.
Trains carrying intermodal containers will interchange at El Paso, Texas, to and from Ferromex’s facility at the Inland Port of Guanajuato. Trains will operate between the border and Silao five days a week, and the service is scheduled to begin May 27.
“Our partnership with Ferromex to launch this service from Chicago to Silao means that automakers and manufacturers in the U.S. and Mexico will now have direct access to the advantages of intermodal rail in the Bajio region,” BNSF Executive Vice President Steve Bobb said in a statement. “This service offers Mexico’s fast-growing manufacturing sector in the Bajio region a simple way to reduce trucking costs and delays.”
Shipment documents for southbound freight are handled at the final destination, minimizing Mexico Customs clearance delays, and northbound shipments are precleared by a customs broker, according to BNSF.
“Mexico is the United States’ third-largest trading partner with a yearly trade of just over $500 billion. This translates into 14,000 trucks crossing between our borders on a daily basis,” FXE Chief Marketing Officer Fernando Lopez said in a statement.
“We created this intermodal train to serve such a market, delivering not only a consistent and reliable alternative, but a solid competitive advantage for North America as a region,” Lopez said.
