Some freight trains operated in Mexico by the local company Ferromex have returned to work after they were stopped the day before following a series of accidents with migrants who were traveling in them and who were injured or killed, the rail operator’s parent company said Wednesday.
Grupo México Transportes, part of the Grupo México conglomerate and which operates Ferromex, reported on Tuesday that it suspended the movement of 60 freight trains on routes to the north of the country due to a “notable increase” in migrants who use them clandestinely to travel.
The company said in a statement Wednesday that “The restoration of safe rail traffic has been determined only on routes where there are no high-risk conditions”. The stationary cars initially have the capacity of 1,800 truckloads of cargo, according to the company.
Earlier, in another statement sent to the Mexican stock exchange, the firm highlighted that the measure “it is temporary” and it only affects some trains heading to the north of the country. “It is important to note that our southbound operation is unaffected,” he added.
In Mexico, it is common for migrants crossing the country to the United States to surreptitiously board freight trains, popularly called “the beast”. The dangerous journey sometimes ends in accidents that can cost them amputations and even their lives.
According to Grupo México Transportes, owned by billionaire Germán Larrea, the suspension was taken due to “severe risk” for the integrity of the migrants who use them and after registering, in recent days, nearly half a dozen cases of injuries or deaths among these groups.
Later, the National Migration Institute (INM) said that it asked Ferromex to incorporate more of its agents on the train routes and asked the company to increase its private security on board the wagons.
In addition, the entity announced that on Friday authorities from its office and Ferromex executives will meet with members of the Foreign Ministry and other Mexican secretariats as well as representatives of the National Guard, a militarized police force, and the Office of Customs and Border Protection. United States (CBP).
In September alone, some 3,000 migrants boarded trains irregularly with the intention of reaching the border between Mexico and the United States, according to the INM.
In April, local media reported that a Venezuelan migrant was found dead on the tracks, apparently after falling from a freight train in eastern Mexico. In June, there was another report of the death of an unidentified migrant after jumping from a train in the northern state of Durango.
Source: Reuters
Source: Gestion
Ricardo is a renowned author and journalist, known for his exceptional writing on top-news stories. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he is known for his ability to deliver breaking news and insightful analysis on the most pressing issues of the day.
