AUSTIN, Texas – A congressman is asking Amtrak to consider a service that could provide a passenger carrier with a connection to Mexico.
KSTA Radio Reports U.S. Rep. Henry Kuller (D-Laredo) met with Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner and Chief Financial Officer Tracy Winfickler to discuss reviving long-suspended Amtrak service between San Antonio and Laredo, Texas. It will be linked to the proposed service between Nuevo Laredo and Montreux, Mexico, which is currently being considered by the Mexican government.
It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving office.
Kullar said the proposal would require state approval and a finance and construction study.
“Texas may have some resistance to this, but we hope that the state of Texas will turn it into a public-private partnership and billions of dollars that the federal government can use. [for the construction]Cuellar told KSTA. “You are talking about up to $12 billion that could be used for this new corridor.” Those funds will be made available under the Bilateral Infrastructure Law passed last year.
San Antonio-Laredo route not among potential new services on Amtrak’s wish list released last year [see “Amtrak unveils ‘Connects US’ map …,” Trains News Wire, March 31, 2021].
Amtrak operated very close to Mexico interamerican, It was launched on January 28, 1973 as the Fort Worth to Laredo train. It eventually spread to St. Louis and then to Chicago, and it is now. texas eagle The San Antonio-Laredo Division was abandoned in October 1981.
He never drove into Mexico during the Amtrak era; Passengers had to make their own arrangements between Laredo and Nuevo Laredo, but connections there gradually deteriorated. Although the Chicago-Laredo Sleeping Car operated in 1981, the southbound train arrived in Laredo at 1:20 a.m. The train to Mexico City had already left at 6:55 p.m. inter-american The train left Loreto at 5:55 am, an hour and a half before the train from Mexico City to Nuevo Laredo arrived.
– Reporter Bob Johnston contributed to this report.
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