The Texas Mexican Railway International Bridge is an international railway bridge across the

Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The length of the Rio G ...

and U.S.-Mexico border between

Laredo, Texas Laredo ( ; ) is a city in and the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Laredo has the distinction of flying seven flags (the flag of t ...

, and

Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas Nuevo Laredo () is a city in the Municipality of Nuevo Laredo in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. The city lies on the banks of the Rio Grande, across from Laredo, United States. The 2010 census population of the city was 373,725. Nuevo Lare ...

, the only rail link between these cities. Owned and operated by

Texas Mexican Railway The Texas Mexican Railway was a railroad that operated as a subsidiary of the Kansas City Southern Railway in Texas. It is often referred to as the Tex-Mex, or TexMex Railway. On January 1, 2005, Kansas City Southern took control of the Texas ...

( KCS) and

Kansas City Southern de México Kansas City Southern de México (KCSM), formerly Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM), is a company dedicated to freight transportation using rail in the northeastern part of Mexico. KCSM is fully owned and operated by Kansas City Southern ...

, the single-track bridge is the busiest rail border crossing in North America. It is also known as the Laredo International Railway Bridge and Puente Negro (The Black Bridge).

History

On January 1, 2005, Kansas City Southern (KCS) took control of The Texas Mexican Railway Company and the U.S. portion of the International Bridge in Laredo, Texas. The railroad is a vital link in KCS's rail network, connecting The KCS and TFM, S.A. de C.V.

Location

On the U.S. side the Bridge is located in the western termini of the Texas-Mexican Railway in

. In Mexico it is located in the northern termini of the

Kansas City Southern Railway The Kansas City Southern Railway Company is an American Class I railroad. Founded in 1887, it operates in 10 midwestern and southeastern U.S. states: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and ...

Future

When the

Laredo International Railway Bridge 2 The Laredo International Railway Bridge 2 (also known as Union Pacific International Railway Bridge) is a proposed international rail bridge project that will soon help alleviate traffic congestion on the U.S.-Mexico border between Laredo, Texas, ...

is completed the Texas-Mexican Railway International Bridge will be converted to either a northbound express lane for trailers and buses, or a railroad track for passenger trains.Laredo Morning Times Article; "Railroad wants Presidential OK

Aerial View

Ground View

Image:Texas-Mexican Railway Bridge.jpg, View of the Tex-Mex Rail Bridge from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas Image:Railway Bridge.jpg, View of the Tex-Mex Rail Bridge from Laredo, Texas

References

International bridges in Laredo, Texas International bridges in Tamaulipas Railroad bridges in Texas Railway bridges in Mexico Bridges completed in 1920 Kansas City Southern Railway bridges Truss bridges in the United States Truss bridges Metal bridges in the United States Metal bridges 1920 establishments in Texas 1920 establishments in Mexico {{US-rail-bridge-struct-stub