The railway company Ferromex made the decision to stop its trains to protect migrants seeking to reach the United States, facing the deadly risk of boarding moving units.
Ferromex, a subsidiary of Grupo México, announced on September 19th the temporary suspension of its freight train operations on routes heading north in the country due to the increase in migratory flow at the northern border of Mexico.
The measure was taken with the aim of protecting migrants who attempt to board moving trains, a practice that has resulted in injuries and fatalities in recent days.
More on the topic
Ferromex halted a total of 60 trains, equivalent to the capacity of 1,800 trucks, resulting in a loss of 40 million pesos, according to Lourdes Aranda, the Director of Government Relations and Communication for Grupo México.
Mexico records an increase in migrants.
The accumulation of migrant individuals in recent days has been significant, and gatherings have been identified at various locations.
In Torreón, Coahuila, there are more than 1,500 people on railway cars and in the railway operations yard. “In Irapuato, Guanajuato, the figure rises to more than 800 people, while in San Francisco de los Romo, Aguascalientes, it is estimated that around a thousand people occupy the cargo cars.
Furthermore, on the route between Chihuahua and Ciudad Juárez, more than a thousand people have been observed attempting to board the trains.
Ferromex suspended operations
In a statement, Ferromex expressed concern for the safety of migrants and noted that in recent days, there have been nearly half a dozen unfortunate incidents related to individuals attempting to board freight trains.
The company emphasized the serious danger posed by this practice and stated that it will take measures to safeguard the physical integrity of migrants.
“In light of the significant increase in concentrated migrant populations in various regions of the country and the severe risk it poses to their integrity due to the use of freight trains for transportation, Ferromex has temporarily halted, up to this point, 60 trains,” they shared in a statement.
Additionally, Ferromex committed to being attentive to the measures determined by authorities at different levels of government to address this situation.
“We have made this decision for humanitarian reasons, to prevent further accidents,” commented Lourdes Aranda.
Resumption of operations with government support
On the other hand, Mexico’s President, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, announced that the operations of Ferromex’s freight trains have already resumed. In a press conference, the president mentioned that, although he was initially surprised by Ferromex’s decision to stop the trains, he later understood that the measure aimed to protect migrants and expressed his agreement with it.
“What matters to us are not the trains, what matters are the migrants,” President López Obrador affirmed. He added that the government is working on solutions to address the immigration issue and assured that there have been no significant disruptions as a result of the temporary suspension of railway operations.
The suspension of Ferromex’s activities has sparked a debate about the need to find humanitarian and safe solutions for migrant individuals in Mexico, while continuing to address the migration challenge in the country.
What do you think of this solution from Ferromex?
Sources: Forbes, El Sol de México, Expansión, El Financiero
