U.S. and Mexican officials held a high level meeting on Thursday to discuss a plan to build the first-ever high speed passenger railroad line connecting both countries by 2018.
The proposed high-speed train would take passengers from San Antonio, Texas, to Monterrey, Mexico through the U.S. border city of Laredo in less than two hours.
http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/money/2014/01/16/next-generation-border-crossing-first-ever-high-speed-train-to-connect-us-and/
Victrola1The proposed high-speed train would take passengers from San Antonio, Texas, to Monterrey, Mexico through the U.S. border city of Laredo in less than two hours.
Plus a custom's stop?
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
I doubt that there is any real market for high speed rail on this route. There hasn't even been a through car, much less a through train on this route since around 1969.
How much air, bus, and private car traffic is there?
It always mystifies me that people come up with ideas for HSR between two points seemingly pulled out of the blue. Unless the air corridor is at or near saturation and/or there is heavy train or bus travel between the two points, where are you going to suddenly get the passengers to justify the service? In this case, you can't even use the argument of economic development along the route since it is planned as a non-stop service.
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"A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner
Monterrey is the Manufacturing Hub of Mexico due to NAFTA. Lots of business people from Texas and other states to Monterrey. Laredo is a major Rail Freight Traffic crossing point for both UNION PACIFIC and KCS de Mexico. Not sure what the San Antonio / Austin market will support. Lets not forget that Austin, TX is only an hour to an hour and a half from San Antonio not too far to drive to take a HSR train.
Some day we will be advanced enough to overcome the stupid boundaries between countries a la the European Union. Then there will not be any need for customs stops or even ICE people with their stamps and visa checks.
dmikee Some day we will be advanced enough to overcome the stupid boundaries between countries a la the European Union. Then there will not be any need for customs stops or even ICE people with their stamps and visa checks.
With the current national debate regarding immigration issues, I seriously doubt that this will happen anytime soon especially when you consider that, during the previous administration, passports became a requirement for travel between the United States and Canada.
An 'European' point of veiw :
1st ; are there any geographical accidents between the two cities. If there aren't any, and if buying real estate is not a problem, the building price might be something in the vicinity of 5 to 8 million euros per Km.
2nd : Since the US is not like the EU (with the esxception of eurostar, baiscally no borders and seamlees travel between countries), maybe border checks should be done in the beginning of the trip, just like Eurostar and airlines.
3rd : Why only between Monterrey and San Antonio? A High Speed line, to be fully operational and properly integrated, should link not only these 2 cities, but others, such as Austin, or Houston, or even the DFW area. I don't see it (if built between San Antonio and Monterrey only) as a profitable line.
4th : after the first 3 issues are adresse, then maybe one can start talking about technical issues, such as trains, curve radii, maximum operational speed and the like related with operation
Agree but if you make the argument to people that largely never leave the United States nor travel internationally they will not understand what your saying or how that is accomplished.
I remember my time in Mexico last year. Never did I have to remove my shoes, laptop from it's case or any other stupidity while at a Mexican Airport traveling back to the United States. Further they did not have an army of TSA standing around and largely doing nothing. If you understand how Mexico accounts for foriegn arrivals via paper trail you'll understand how they have a better and more efficient system of airport security in place vs. the United States. How could that happen? Well for one, Mexico had to pick a system that fit it's National budget whereas here in the United States we can borrow from another country to finance ours. So in the United States I paid $100 for seven years to return to the former U.S. Security system in place before 9-11 but I still am amazed at how many Americans continue to passively submit to the searches and refuse to pay the $100.
Anyways I look forwards to the day when the Canada - U.S. - Mexico trade liberalization also once again reduces the passport restrictions and other unnecessary security apparatus. Or to the day when the U.S. electorate is far less isolationist and more eyes wide open to neighboring countries and how they handle similar issues for far less money than the United States does.
Customs inspection should not be a problem for this service if this is a true HSR service that will operate non stop between the two cities. First of all, tickets would be sold only to holders of valid passports and the passports will be checked by the railroad before boarding the train. This is what the airlines do right now for passengers traveling abroad. The train will not stop at the border but continue directly to its destination where Customs and Immigration examinations will be conducted there. It would be similar to what is done with airline passengers flying into and out of Toronto and other places in Canada. The US could do either pre clearance in Mexico or in San Antonio and vice versa for Mexico. The Irish Republic and Northern Ireland inspect passengers traveling between Dublin and Belfast at the destination city not at the border; and have been doing this for years. These trains are run as joint services between Irish Rail and Northern Ireland Railways and are run nonstop.
Before we start making too many plans around Mexico, it might be useful to see who ends up running the place, the government or the drug "families."
A story in the Wall Street Journal a few days ago tells how the drug people have muscled into legitimate business in places like Lazaro Cardenas -- linchpin to Kansas City Southern's Mexico strategy -- to the extent that the feds have called in the troops at LC, practically declaring martial law. The immediate occasion was the Veep of an international mining company at LC catching a bullet in the head from the druggie competition.
Who needs HSR to places like that?
CMStPnPif you make the argument to people that largely never leave the United States nor travel internationally they will not understand what your saying or how that is accomplished.
That applies to many other issues besides border security and to other nations. Isolationist, parochial perspectives down to the state level are very prevalent.
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
Back in the 50s we lived in Laredo and my parents frequently took me to Mexico by train for vacation. The Missouri Pacific Aztec Eagle brought a daily sleeper and coach to Laredo from St. Louis, which were destined for Mexico City. They were literally pushed to the center of the international bridge and left there for a few minutes. A Mexican engine came out and pulled them to their depot and coupled them onto the southbound train. The other Mexican cars were heavy weights, but were very nice. Both the Laredo and the Nuevo Laredo depots are near the bridge and survive to this day.
My opinion for many reasons is that high speed rail to Mexico will not occur in our lifetime. We can't even develop adequate regular passenger rail within Texas. The drug traffic situation on both sides of the border would put a serious damper on travel. The Customs complexities would be enormus - given our propensity for generating complexities. Monterey is not the charming destination it used to be. And, on and on.
However, let's not be negative. Let's concentrate instead on the positive. Let's begin by getting passenger rail service of any kind to Laredo. Then we can talk. By the way, I totally, totally support and recommend the TxDOT proposal to extend the Heartland Flyer south along I-35 to Laredo. It is a much needed beginning, regardless of how far the future takes us.
dakotafred Before we start making too many plans around Mexico, it might be useful to see who ends up running the place, the government or the drug "families." A story in the Wall Street Journal a few days ago tells how the drug people have muscled into legitimate business in places like Lazaro Cardenas -- linchpin to Kansas City Southern's Mexico strategy -- to the extent that the feds have called in the troops at LC, practically declaring martial law. The immediate occasion was the Veep of an international mining company at LC catching a bullet in the head from the druggie competition. Who needs HSR to places like that?
Mexico does not have the restrictions to using it's Armed Forces for domestic law enforcement that the United States does. In fact you can see Mexican Army and Mexican Marines just about anywhere in the Capitol of Mexico City at any given moment pulling security same with the outlying provinces, they are used as a suppliment to the police so you really cannot say "troops been called out" or use the term "martial law". They are always out and about on the street, I observed when I was there.
Italy operates much the same way, IMO. It's not just Mexico. If I had to rate countries, Italy was far more dangerous during the crackdown on the Mafia in the 1980's and 1990's than Mexico is now with the drug issue. However, being European, Italy did not get even half the bad press that Mexico is getting now.
CMStPnP can have it his way, but if the below (from the Wall St. Journal of Jan. 11-12) is business as usual, God help Mexico:
"In early November, (Mexico President) Pena Nieto launched an unprecedented federal takeover of Lazaro Cardenas in an effort to squeeze (drug cartel) the Templars' supply lines. As the sun rose, military helicopters swooped down on the city. Hundreds of army troops detained the city's 130 police officers, disarmed them, and sent them to an army base for 'evaluation and retraining.'
"Soldiers were soon patrolling the port city in the municipal police's Toyota pickups. 'The Mexican state is under threat in (the state of) Michoacán,' Finance Minister Luis Videgaray said ... "
dakotafred CMStPnP can have it his way, but if the below (from the Wall St. Journal of Jan. 11-12) is business as usual, God help Mexico: "In early November, (Mexico President) Pena Nieto launched an unprecedented federal takeover of Lazaro Cardenas in an effort to squeeze (drug cartel) the Templars' supply lines. As the sun rose, military helicopters swooped down on the city. Hundreds of army troops detained the city's 130 police officers, disarmed them, and sent them to an army base for 'evaluation and retraining.' "Soldiers were soon patrolling the port city in the municipal police's Toyota pickups. 'The Mexican state is under threat in (the state of) Michoacán,' Finance Minister Luis Videgaray said ... "
Reading the article I do not get a sense that Mexico is about to collapse or is being taken over. Maybe it is perspective but I have actually traveled to Mexico in the past year and even ate in the Mexican Casitas in Mexico City with the help of my Mexican coworkers (so I would not get sick). My Brother is going to travel there in another month or so. The country is as safe, most of this is alarmist bunk. I agree it is serious when they have to replace an entire police force or reinterview it but it is not unprecedented and generally this does not happen in places where American tourists frequent. Generally drug trafficing areas are very remote and off the beaten path of foriegn tourists in order to stay covert.
BTW, apparently you missed Chicago's history with it's police force back in the Capone era? It's not like this has not happened here.
As I said, have it your way. Also, after you, Alphonse, on investments in Mexico.
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