A new block (unitary) train service from APM Terminals Lazaro Cardenas in Mexico avoids congestion and delays at other ports to reach hinterland destinations in the US and Mexico – prompting a rise in traffic through the port.
Since the terminal opened in February last year, there has been an increase in eight vessel services calling each week. The terminal provides the shortest distance and lowest intermodal cost to Mexico City.
As Latin America’s first semi-automated terminal, APM Terminals Lazaro Cardenas operates around the clock using the latest technology to offer real-time information, no congestion and swift turnaround times.
It is these innovative service options that have seen the port continue to win volume and new vessel services, to become one of the largest transhipment hubs north of Panama.
Rail service innovation
Two unique block train services were successfully piloted – one to Mexico City and another across the US border to Houston.
The pilot demonstrated that APM Terminals Lazaro Cardenas provides an excellent alternative for avoiding congestion and the risk of delays commonly associated with services in many terminals in Long Beach, Los Angeles.
Shippers recognized the less-congested port saves time – with forwarders reporting dwell times for cargo via Long Beach to inland destinations of between five and seven days, and sometimes even more.
In comparison, APM Terminals Lazaro Cardenas is much faster from vessel discharge to rail connection due to its on-dock rail capability with two dedicated rail mounted gantry cranes, and lower move count. APM Terminals Lazaro Cardenas also has its own rail customs inspection facility with 34 dedicated bays that speed up and simplify the container inspection and cargo clearance process.
Now fully implemented, the train services to Mexico City and Houston further highlight the high levels of service available through APM Terminals Lazaro Cardenas.
Mexico City service
The train service pilot to Mexico City focused on eliminating dwell times in other congested gateways and securing cargo whenever trucks were stationary on city streets. To date, 99.98% of train moves from the Terminal have no security claims.
The non-stop weekly rail departures delivered transit times to Mexico City comparable to those from LA and faster and more reliable than from Manzanillo.
Houston service
With an established fixed weekly departure, the transit time for the train from APM Terminals Lazaro Cardenas to Houston is six days, the same as the rail service from LA.
In partnership with logistics provider Damco, units can be transferred within 24 hours using customs clearance procedures. Cargo is pre-cleared using routing developed for Canadian gateways. The whole customs procedure is managed by APM Terminals for a seamless transaction.
