GMXT Proposes Railway Links for Tesla’s Nuevo Leon Gigafactory

Grupo México Transportes (GMXT), a division of Grupo México, has put forward a proposal for railway connectivity for Tesla’s incoming plant in Nuevo Leon. 

José Miguel Baena, Commercial Director, GMXT, hinted that company representatives have met with Tesla to discuss the connectivity required for the new Gigafactory, according to T21. "Both Canadian Pacific Kansas City and ourselves are working closely with Tesla on connectivity. We are assessing the best options for it, as [Tesla] has already decided on the location, but connectivity issues are still pending," says Baena.

He adds that GMXT is increasingly handling cars of Chinese origin at its terminal within the Ferrovalle facilities, leading it to build an automotive terminal capable of storing up to 3,000 units. The saturation at the port of Lazaro Cardenas also led the company to propose an alternative route through Mazatlan, Sinaloa, and then to Mexico City. This change allowed the company to save time, as the ship-to-train exchange takes only 24 hours.

"Lazaro Cardenas is no longer coping with the importation of Chinese vehicles, so we provided manufacturers with an alternative, primarily using that terminal for vehicles coming from Mazatlan, mostly Chinese. We have another terminal in Monterrey where we handle a Mazatlan-Monterrey route, but essentially, that terminal was opened with that objective. Some brands are establishing their domestic distribution there," he says.

GMXT acquired 600 bi-level railcars for the domestic market to address the shortage of railcars. The company operates a train with 65 bi-level cars daily, although the facilities have a capacity for 90 railroad cars.

"In the past, we had 200 or 300 cars and 20 bi-levels. An expansion has already been undertaken and we are set for the next two or three years without issues. If the market demands it, we have room to grow up to 150 railroad cars," he adds.