August 2, 2018 500 AM
Presidio-Ojinaga railroad service being restored
PRESIDIO – After being burned twice, flooded and abandoned, the international rail bridge that connects Presidio to Ojinaga is to be re-built.
One of only seven rail gateways between the United States and Mexico has been shuttered for a decade after the initial fire occurred in 2008. Demolition has begun on the Mexican side of the bridge, whereas the U.S. side is still in disrepair, the track buried in a levee that was raised as a result of the flood of 2008.
Texas Pacifico, the transportation firm that owns the trains that operate over the South Orient Rail Line, is rebuilding the bridge and rehabilitating the remainder of the line. The Texas Department of Transportation Rail Division is a player in the re-establishment of railroad service between Mexico and Texas.
According to Federico Diaz, Texas Pacifico’s Executive Vice President, the bridge has a long way to go before it is operational. It must first go through the process of bidding and receiving the offer. The offer is then evaluated for a month. Once these steps are complete, construction is expected to begin in early September and end in July 2019.
