Rio South Texas, located at the heart of the North American supply chain, has 
always been hailed for its multimodality. Major U.S-Mexico border crossings, 
international airports, deep-water seaports, and interstate highways have made 
the region the ultimate intermodal trade hub for businesses with North American 
operations. In addition, the region's connection to the North American Class 1 
Rail Network is responsible for the export and import of hundreds of millions 
of products annually. This North American railway access, in combination with 
the opportunities provided by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement 
(USMCA), further optimizes the logistical advantages that Rio South Texas 
offers manufacturers and logistics providers located in the region.

Rio South Texas offers a robust international Class 1 railway infrastructure 
with US services through Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway Co., Mexico 
service via Kansas City Southern de Mexico, and local short line services via 
Brownsville & Rio Grande International Railroad (BRG), Border Pacific Railroad, 
as well as Rio Valley Switching. Thousands of carloads are reported via the BRG 
annually (more than 40,000 in 2019).  Furthermore, the pending merger between 
Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern will take Rio South Texas' railway 
logistics to the next level by providing streamlined services across the US, 
Mexico, and Canada, meaning trade volumes will likely continue to grow with 
Canadian Pacific's and Kansas City Southern's commitment to our region.

Freight rail also serves as the major connector to the rest of the logistics 
options in the region. Short-line rail services connect to local seaports, 
facilitating waterborne transport via the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (which 
itself channels more than 500 million tons of cargo) and the global seas via 
the Gulf of Mexico.  The Rio South Texas region's railways also offer 
intermodal connections to interstate highway transport as well as air cargo, 
connecting the region to the world, with Rio South Texas' Valley International 
Airport ranking in the top 80 U.S. for air cargo. 

If you are shipping globally, into the United States or out of it, or if you 
are looking to manufacture products in North America for North America, take a 
look at what Rio South Texas has to offer. Our team at COSTEP would be glad to 
assist you, so please visit us at www.costep.org or connect with us at @COSTEP 
to learn more.

Contact: Matt Ruszczak, +1.956.682.6371, info@costep.org

SOURCE: Council for South Texas Economic Progress