OREANDA-NEWS. Union Pacific Railroad recently initiated a new intermodal service between Laredo, Texas, and Memphis, Tenn., supporting growing transportation needs for the automotive manufacturing and intermodal marketplaces. This industry-leading, third-morning service connects businesses in the southeastern United States and Mexico, via safe, cost-effective and environmentally friendly rail transportation.

As the automotive industry continues to rebound and shift production to North America, manufacturers increasingly are locating vehicle production and auto parts distribution facilities near where they are most likely to be consumed or purchased.

"The development of this Laredo-Memphis service lane represents Union Pacific's commitment to creating innovative products and services to meet the evolving needs of our automotive customers," said Linda Brandl, vice president of Automotive at Union Pacific. "With a truck-competitive transit time, this service allows our automotive manufacturing customers to convert truck shipments to rail with minimal impact to their on-hand inventory of auto parts and the customized racks required to ship them."

Intermodal shipping, a service combining multiple modes of transportation, primarily involves transporting consumer products, which are increasingly produced in Mexico. The Laredo-Memphis rail service connects manufacturers located in Mexico with retail storefronts and distribution centers in the southeastern United States.

"The intermodal service between Laredo and Memphis is a great addition to the unparalleled Mexico market access Union Pacific offers its intermodal customers," said John Kaiser, vice president of Intermodal at Union Pacific. "This new offering combines the industry's fastest intermodal service with container programs that serve all major U.S. and Canadian markets, providing customers with unmatched service and capacity."

As the only railroad serving all six Mexico gateways - Laredo, Eagle Pass, El Paso and Brownsville in Texas; Calexico, Calif.; and Nogales, Ariz.,  -  Union Pacific's intermodal franchise provides customers with access to more North American markets than any other rail provider.