Page Two	E-mail PagePrint Version

CONCORD - Pacer Stacktrain has expanded its intermodal freight service linking the US northeast with points throughout Mexico.

Introduced in March to provide consistent long-haul intermodal service for general merchandise moving between US midwestern points and Mexican industrial and consumer centers, the service has been broadened to include the following origin and Kearny, NJ, serving the greater New York area; Baltimore, MD; and Philadelphia and Harrisburg, PA.

Service points in Mexico include Monterrey, San Luis Potosi, Queretaro, and Mexico City.

Dubbed the "PacerMex NonStop" service, the expanded routing calls for containerized cargo to move in-bond by double-stack rail, eliminating the need to stop for Customs clearance at the US-Mexico border.

Clearance takes place at final destination with the in-bond permit processed at the service's Laredo, TX gateway.

Also, by using double-stack technology that locks the lower-level container against the walls of the railcar, "the service provides excellent cargo security, eliminating the need for long-haul security escorts that have become increasingly common with highway transport," according to a company spokesman.

The service also enables intermodal marketing companies (IMCs) to offer truck-rail-truck, door-to-door delivery of general merchandise freight to Mexico for beneficial owners of the freight, he said.

CSX will be the primary rail carrier between US northeastern points and the US midwest, with TFM acting as the primary Mexican rail carrier and providing up to US$100,000 of liability coverage on shipments while cargo is in the carrier's possession in Mexico.

Pacer is utilizing both 53-foot and 48-foot containers and chassis on the expanded route with reduced transit times for cargo moving ramp-to-ramp from the New York area to Mexico City available on the ninth day (from rail departure).

Go back, or read the latest Page Two stories:

MEXICO LIFTS CALIFORNIA LETTUCE BAN

MEXICO CITY, Mexico – 10/20/06 – The weeks-old ban on California lettuce shipments to Mexico has been lifted after US Department of Agriculture tests for the E. coli bacteria proved negative; California is the country’s leading producer of lettuce with an estimated 70-75% of the total US production of iceberg lettuce and between 80-85% of the leaf lettuce.