Yesterday, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (TDA) awarded Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana S.A. de C.V. a $750,000 grant to conduct detailed engineering studies and supervise construction for an intermodal/automotive terminal designed to serve Mexico's Toluca area.
The $52.1 million terminal would include an automotive ramp designed for unfinished vehicle loading and unloading, an intermodal ramp for loading and unloading containers and trailers, a cross dock and coil-steel facilities. TFM plans to begin operating the terminal in August.
Officials of TFM owner Transportación Maritima Mexicana S.A. de C.V. believe the terminal would generate $100 million in potential U.S.-to-Mexico services and equipment exports, of which about $85 million would be tied to additional rail moves.
"Considering the potential demand for intermodal transportation of auto parts into the Toluca facility, we estimate that in its first year of operations, the terminal will handle 16,250 imported containers from the United States into Mexico with an estimated value of $1 billion," said Jose Serrano, TMM and TFM chairman and chief executive officer, in a prepared statement.
TMM officials also believe the terminal would serve the auto import and export needs of the Mexico City area — leading to annual volumes of between 90,000 and 100,000 units within the terminal's first two years of operation. And a Toluca-area customer already petitioned TFM to provide cross dock services, which might annually involve 6,540 rail cars.
TFM in 1999 received a separate TDA grant to conduct feasibility studies of intermodal terminals in Nuevo Laredo, Monterrey, Toluca, San Luis Potosi and Queretaro, Mexico; the railroad already built a terminal in Toluca (the Maclovio Herrera facility). TFM also is completing but operating a terminal in San Luis Potosi, and building terminals in Nuevo Laredo and Monterrey.
Source: Progressive Railroading Daily News
