Railroad crossing proposed for San Luis

SAN LUIS, ARIZ. - San Luis, Ariz., Mayor Juan Carlos Escamilla and the mayor of San Luis Rio Colorado, Son., Ruben Espino, say they will do everything in their power to make sure that the railway that will transport merchandise from new deep-water port at Punta Colonet in Baja California stops in this area.

"The goal is to take advantage of the potential of the new port of entry. We will propose that the railway crosses the border close to the new (San Luis) port of entry," Escamilla said.

On Oct. 2, Escamilla attended a meeting with Espino and executives from the Department of Communication and Transportation in Mexico City, where they discussed the possibility that the railway crossing for shipments coming from Baja California and exported from the U.S. to other regions will be in this area.

He added that no route is proposed at this time. "Espino’s and my idea is that the railway is close to the new port of entry and that a transfer station be constructed although we don’t have a specific plan at this time."

Escamilla said that it was important to begin to explore some possibilities.

"We are talking about being considered as possible route, because if the train crosses at San Luis Rio Colorado it would also go through San Luis, Ariz, and would benefit all of the Yuma area."

Escamilla said from his end the proposal will be discussed with local officials, looking for a consensus so that they can later "consult with local growers as well as the community."

"When talks about the railway first began, we were not against it," said Escamilla. "What we said was that there was not enough information and the way discussion was going we knew it would affect the community but we were not against the railway."

More than a year ago there was controversy locally about routing of a railroad from the new port through the Yuma area. Eventually, Union Pacific chose to drop its proposal for the rail route amid objections from local groups.

The city of San Luis Rio Colorado was represented by Oscar Romo at a meeting about the ports of entry to the U.S. in Tijuana where Escamilla was one of the presenters.

"That’s where we began to discuss the advantages to our area. Our intention is that the railway crosses the U.S.-Mexican border close to the new commercial port of entry which will open in September 2009," he said.

He added that alternate routes for the railway, such as Ciudad Juarez, Laredo or Nogales, are also being considered but "we think our proposal is the most viable one. We will have a modern commercial port of entry with rapid lanes and we might be able to offer the best logistics so that shipments can travel smoother in both directions.

"At the same time, we would be setting off the economy not only in San Luis, but in all the Yuma region," he added.

Romo stated that rather than focusing on the negative impact attributed to the railway, attention should be given to the potential to generate prosperity. "Before we oppose it, we must analyze what we are blocking and losing."

He agreed with Escamilla that there is no proposed route yet, but he anticipated that the route would be in the San Luis Valley, bypassing the city, and through the sandy mesa heading north and connecting with the U.S. close to where the new commercial port of entry will be built.

Less than 120 kilometers (about 75 miles) south of Ensenada, Baja Calif., Punta Colonet Port is expected to be in full operation by the year 2012