Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX28) is working to ensure efficiency of rail crossings along the U.S. and Mexico border, which are plagued by unnecessary delays and blocked city crossings causing long periods of traffic congestion. Cuellar successfully included language in FY2015 appropriations bill that would require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct an assessment of the best practices that can be used to reduce rail border crossing times and especially the blockage of street crossings on the U.S. side.

 

“Efficiency is key for rail crossings along our border and this required assessment will ensure that blockages and slow-downs due to the crossing are kept to a minimum,” Congressman Cuellar said. “Problems due to traffic congestion range from affecting one’s ability to get to work or school, to the speed of our first responders to be able to get to emergency situations and it’s important we are doing everything possible to minimize these inconveniences and safety risks.”

 

The GAO review will examine the impact of reduced staff changing times, pre-clearance for train operators, and possible changing in train operator location. GAO must provide its findings to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations within than 180 days.

 

The language Cuellar added was as a result of a meeting he hosted in December of 2013 to address the ongoing railway crossing issues on the Kansas City Southern Railway in the City of Laredo. The meeting included the City of Laredo, Customs and Border Protection, Federal Rail Administration, Kansas Southern, Union Pacific, United States Department of Agriculture, Mexico Assistant Port Director for Field Operations in Nuevo Laredo and Assistant Port Director for Railroad Operations in Nuevo Laredo, and the Texas Department of Transportation to discuss solutions to the congestion problem.

 

In the December 2013 meeting, the officials discussed the Kansas City Rail line’s blockage of lanes of traffic in downtown Laredo when trains are traveling South, and the problems caused when the train stops on the border for staffing changes between American staff to Mexican staff who are often not prepared for the change.