I guess I don’t understand the history here but to me the whole concept of changing train crews in the middle of a train trestle, where the relief crew has to walk out onto the trestle to change, seems a little strange to me how that ever got started in the first place.
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Because train crews have to be qualified and authorized to operate a train in another sovereign nation under that other nation’s laws and regulations. And at the US-Mexican border there is a very significant language barrier. Changing out crews at the international border was the easiest, if not the most efficient, way of dealing with all this.
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Just a difference between Mexico and Canada.
In times before the current political climate - US crews on US trains operated to points in Canada and return.
I suspect - before the current political climate amenable crew changes existed between US and Mexican carriers.
The present political climate is toxic for international operations.
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Sounds like a mess that needs to be fixed. USMCA should in my view smooth border crossing. I see the Canadians had to spring $5 Billion for the Gordie Howie bridge to Detroit to get better fluidity between Canada and United States for auto parts. So might not be a focus of the US but it should be.
I dunno. CPKC has “international” crews at Laredo. KCS implemented them back in 2018. I suspect that UP will eventually be successful in Eagle Pass. There’s just a lot of FRA, union, and customs agreements that need to be worked out to make it happen. Eliminating long train stops right at the international border probably facilitates better border security.
Helps if you also own the Mexican carrier and can set and enforce standards…
Indeed. That’s CPKC’s big advantage - for now. Keith Creel better squirrel away billions (and billions) of dollars to outbid UP and/or BNSF when the concession ends.
UP does own something like 25% of Ferromex. They can influence things south of the border too.