On November 23rd, 2016, Marcela Celorio Mancera, Consul General of Mexico in San Diego, California, visited the headquarter offices of Baja California Railroad, specifically Tijuana and Garcia Station. This meeting allowed the strengthening of the relationship with the neighbor country and served the opportunity to inform about the railway’s projects and operation of the railway.
“The freight rail has contributed to push forward transportation and promotion of the economic competitiveness in the region, in compliance with the effort and work of the binational business community, as well as the political faculty of the three governmental levels of both countries”, the Consul General expressed, additionally to mentioning several of the characteristics which make Baja California an appealing and competitive region. Among these, the transportation costs offered by the entity due to the geographical proximity to the United States.
Furthermore, she highlighted the access to nearby ports and interconnected highways, as well as quality manufacturing, the degree of specialization achieved by the work force, among other factors that have attracted companies from all over the world to participate from Mexico in the value business organizations.
“It is of utter importance to be aware of the benefits of the region. For instance, among the qualities of the freight rail, it’s essential to know that each boxcar is equivalent to three or four container trucks, which means a saving in transportation costs and an increase in cargo volumes, favoring the attraction of more foreign investment in the region; therefore, leading to new sources of employment and a better socioeconomic level”, she said.
In addition, she highlighted the importance of the Desert Line rehabilitation, since this project would remove a significant amount of cargo trucks crossing the border, which would decongest the bridges and crossings, resulting in a positive impact on the environment.
‘When the governments and industries develop projects on an individual manner it’s difficult to advance or adapt them to the society needs; so is recommendable to generate innovative and collaborative ideas together. The Cross-Border Express is a clear example that industries and governments at every level have agreed to make it possible”, she expressed.
Marcela Celorio M. concluded with the message that it a project like the Desert Line rehabilitation is viable and pointed out that it is essential to consider the regional citizen’s well-being and the impact that this project will have in both countries. She also recommended to generate a public – private partnership schemes on both sides of the border for a prosperous outcome.
