The Canadian Pacific Kansas City railroad company recently added 1,000 new 53-ft. refrigerated intermodal containers to its network, more than doubling CPKC’s existing fleet and providing more shipping options to customers using the expanding Mexico Midwest Express (MMX) series premium intermodal service.
MMX is North America’s first single-line rail service offering for refrigerated shippers from the Midwest to Mexico, a market currently served by trucks. Single-line haul efficiencies, combined with “seamless” cross-border service, make CPKC intermodal transit times competitive with over-the-road trucks, the company said.
Converting trucks to rail also reduces emissions and makes highways safer, CPKC added.
“Since being launched on May 11, MMX has provided truck-competitive service, delivering exactly what we promised and executing what many said could not be done,” Jonathan Wahba, CPKC senior vice president of sales and marketing for bulk and intermodal, stated in a news release. “We’re providing customers with the fastest transit times in the rail industry and this expansion of our state-of-the-art reefer equipment gives more customers the solution they need to convert to rail.”
The average intermodal train takes more than 300 trucks off the road with 75% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than trucks. Freight trains are four times more fuel efficient than trucks and can move a ton of freight 500 miles on one gallon of fuel, the company maintained.
The new refrigerated containers are part of CPKC’s TempPro solutions, ensuring products that require temperature protection are transported safely in a fast, reliable, and fuel-efficient service that brings optionality and competition to North American supply chains.
The MMX temperature-controlled service will move fresh and frozen produce, baked goods, candy, and other food products northbound; and beef, chicken, and pork to Southern markets.
The MMX series debuted May 11 with trains now linking Chicago, Kansas City, Texas markets, Monterrey, and San Luis Potosi. MMX trains offer third-day service to and from Laredo, fourth-day service to and from Monterrey, and 4.5-day service to and from San Luis Potosi. MMX provides transit time of 98 hours from Chicago to San Luis Potosi.
In April, CPKC announced new multi-year agreements with Schneider and Knight-Swift Transportation for intermodal transportation services along the CPKC single-line north-south corridor.
