Rail corridor Mexico-US reduces logistics times

Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) and CSX Corporation announced improvements to the Southeast Mexico Express (SMX) premium rail service, a strategy aimed at reducing transit times and expanding logistics connectivity between Mexico, Texas, and the southeastern United States.

The new operating plan incorporated routes and origin-destination options with transit times more competitive than those of trucking, connecting markets such as Atlanta, Charlotte, and Central Florida with cities like Dallas, Monterrey, and central Mexico.

CPKC and CSX originally launched the Southeast Mexico Express in December 2024 as a rail alternative focused on intermodal freight and cross-border logistics between Mexico and the US Southeast.

The companies noted that SMX will expand logistics capacity, optimize delivery times, and strengthen sustainable rail solutions by replacing up to 300 trucking units with rail, contributing to the reduction of pollutant emissions.

Key advantages of the corridor include direct connectivity between Mexico, Texas, and the US Southeast; expanded origin and destination markets; enhanced operational security through border crossing technology; and improved logistics efficiency for automotive, intermodal, and full-truckload freight.