|
COPYRIGHT 2004 The Dallas Morning News
Byline: Katherine Yung
Nov. 21--FORT STOCKTON, Texas -- The railroad that refuses to die is gearing up for a comeback.
Headed for the scrap heap on at least three occasions and dormant for the last six years, the South Orient Railroad is once again seeking to defy history.
Its mission: proving that a profitable trade route exists through this former Army outpost and other West Texas towns, not only with Mexico but Asia too.
Next month, barring unforeseen hiccups, companies will start sending goods by rail from Fort Worth to the border at Presidio, Texas, and on to Topolobampo in northwest Mexico.
"This could be an alternative for bringing goods into the nation," says Mario Medina, multimodal section director at the Texas Department of Transportation.
Freight trains operated by the Fort Worth & Western Railroad already run from Fort Worth to San Angelo Junction, Texas.
That's where the South Orient begins, traversing 382 miles through 11 West Texas counties to Presidio, where it connects with the Mexican railroad Ferromex.
The revival would mark a milestone of sorts. Since the early 1900s, the pursuit of a faster, cheaper way to move grain and other goods from the Midwest to the Pacific Ocean via Texas and Mexico has captivated -- and eluded -- those who have tried.
The dream began with Arthur Stilwell, founder of the Kansas City Southern railroad...
Read the full article for free courtesy of your local library.
|
Bookmark this article
Print this article
Link to this article
Email this article
Digg It!
Add to del.icio.us
RSS
