Reuters article in MSN.Moneycentral on possible expansion to the Mexican west coast port of Lazaro Cardenas and the potential for increased traffic on the KCSdeM line from there to Kansas City. http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.asp?feed=OBR&Date=20060212&ID=5497551 "But Haverty said most of the $200 million Kansas City Southern has earmarked for investment in Mexico in 2006-2007 will be for track from Lazaro Cardenas. " Wrong side of the country for me to see anything of this....... Regards Ed
Except for storms off the oceans, they'd have an all weather facility, that would bypass western US congestion. Might make them a nice dollar or two. Rats! My atlas doesn't even show this location. Where is it on the west coast? In relation to Mazatlan, etc? Boxcab E50
South of Mazatlan, Puerta Vallarta, Manzanillo, etc, but north of Acapulco (just a little bit north of Ixtapa). It's in Michoacan state, right at the border with Guerrero. See this map of Michoacan: http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/michoacan/mapmichoacan.html Here's an overall country map where you can locate Michoacan: http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/mapmex.html By the way, Mexico City is just east of Michoacan state. Edit: Silly me, here is the link to the KCSdeM route map. Lazaro Cardenas is the port at the Pacific Ocean access of KCSdeM. http://www.tfm.com.mx/ruta.htm Regards Ed [ February 14, 2006, 08:43 AM: Message edited by: Ed M ]
A couple of years ago I stopped at the train museum in San Angelo, TX. It was a quite Saturday afternoon and I spent a few hours with the main guy. He mentioned the fact then that the track was being upgraded moving from the East, Westward. This line was intended to run to the Pacific coast of Mexico when it was built over 100 years ago from what I can gather. Even now an occasional BNSF stack train comes by detouring probably? There is diffently something in the works with KCS. A container port on the Mexican Pacific that bypasses LA and other busy ports and rail traffic would be interesting. Doc
ED- Those first two links require membership or some sort of log-in. But the last one works just fine. Boxcab E50
Boxcab - I edited the first two links and they should work now. DocGeoff - the line you're referring to is the original Kansas City, Mexico, and Orient Railroad built by Arthur Stillwell (who originally built the Kansas City Southern). It was later purchased by ATSF, part of it later became the South Orient Railroad, and is now operating as the Texas Pacifico Railroad, if I have my history correct. Texas Pacifico is linked to FerroMex, I believe through common ownership. Here's a link to the FerroMex route map, and you can see the connection indicated to Texas Pacifico (TXP) at the Ojinaga / Presidio border crossing. http://www.ferromex.com.mx/ruta.html FerroMex is involved in container traffic entering at the port of Topolobampo (the original destination of the KCM&O), and running up the line through the Copper Canyon, then on to the border crossing at Ojinaga / Presidio. Both FerroMex and KCSdeM are trying to take advantage of the increased container traffic that is at times causing traffic jams in U.S. west coast ports, and also going for the short land route (slightly farther in lower cost shipping) between the west coast and the center or eastern part of the country. Regards Ed
