Update: 29.12.2023
On 26 December, the 5-day suspension of rail traffic over the international railway crossing bridges in El Paso and Eagle Pass, Texas, which connect the US with Mexico, was lifted.
In response to the reopening, Union Pacific reiterated the importance of the crossing for the movement of freight between the two countries.
"These crossings are critical gateways for international commerce, and the closures had real-world impacts for families, businesses and our customers on both sides of the border. We will restore normal operations as quickly as possible as we work through the five-day backlog of shipments holding to cross the border."
Despite the opening of the rail crossing, Crisis24 reports that vehicular processing is still suspended at Eagle Pass International Bridge 1 in Eagle Pass, Texas.
Disruptions can be expected for motor vehicles while the suspension is in place and could continue once the border is reopened due to increased traffic volume.
Original article: 20.12.2023
Last week, the US border officials closed two rail bridges between Texas and Mexico after detecting a surge in migrants smuggling through Mexico by train.
The closure of the El Paso and Eagle Pass international railway crossing bridges has so far caused significant disruption to cross-border rail freight.
CNBC reports that nearly USC 200 million worth of cargo moves by rail through the two crossings.
Class I railroads Union Pacific (UP) and BNSF have called on US officials to re-open the bridges to facilitate rail movement.
According to the Journal of Commerce, the closure has stopped all intermodal containers exchanged between Mexico’s Ferromex (FXE), the largest railway in Mexico, and Union Pacific (UP).
The cargo was destined for the US Midwest, Canada, and the Southeast.
This is the second time officials have decided to close the borders between the US and Mexico due to the illegal smuggling of migrants.
“The crisis at our border is seriously affecting legitimate trade,” US Representative Henry Cuellar told local media.
In a letter sent to the Department of Homeland Security, an agricultural trade group said, “Each additional day of closures results in rail carriers having to idle trains or reroute them in illogical ways to try and serve customers, all of which adds friction within the supply chain.”
El Paso and Eagle Pass accounted for $33.95 billion, or 35.8%, of all cross-border rail traffic between November 2022 and October 2023, according to data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
