Union Pacific Upgrades to Falcon Premium Intermodal Service for Faster Transit Times
(Image Source: jefzila/ Flickr)
Union Pacific, one of North America's leading transportation companies, has made a groundbreaking announcement at the prestigious Morgan Stanley’s 11th Annual Laguna Conference. The company's CEO, Jim Vena, revealed that Union Pacific's Mexico intermodal offerings, known as Eagle and Falcon Premium, are set to revolutionize intermodal transportation services, seamlessly connecting the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
This latest move of Union Pacific has garnered significant attention, as they have successfully reduced a full day of transit time for customers utilizing the Eagle and Falcon Premium services. Eagle Premium is designed to facilitate smooth interchange between Mexico, Chicago, the West Coast, and several eastern U.S. destinations, including Detroit, Michigan, and Louisville, Kentucky. Meanwhile, Falcon Premium – developed in collaboration with Canadian National (CN) and Grupo Mexico (GMXT) – extends its services to all CN points within Canada and Detroit, Michigan.
Both Eagle and Falcon Premium capitalize on Union Pacific's well-established route running between Texas and Chicago. These services are not only providing customers with an eco-friendly alternative to long-haul trucking but also come at a pivotal time to serve companies that have recently expanded their operations into Mexico. Union Pacific's transit enhancements are poised to directly compete with traditional trucking options, offering tremendous benefits to intermodal customers shipping a wide range of goods, including automotive parts, food products, FAK (freight all kinds), home appliances, and temperature-sensitive merchandise.
Speaking about this development, CEO Jim Vena expressed his confidence in Union Pacific's network and its potential for growth, saying, "Union Pacific has a great network, and we will continue leveraging it to offer our customers competitive, world-class service. I'm optimistic about the strong performance and the growth potential as a result of our operational excellence and opportunities created by the nearshoring trend in Mexico."
Key advantages for Union Pacific's customers include:
Reliability: Union Pacific boasts the most reliable and proven network connecting Mexico to the U.S. and Canada, harnessing the strengths of each railroad's services and routes, including Union Pacific's impressive 30-year history in Mexico. Furthermore, Union Pacific remains the only railroad serving all six of Mexico's major gateways.
Seven-Day Service: The company offers a seven-day per week service between GMXT terminals in Mexico, specifically in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, and Silao, Guanajuato. This service includes interchange options with GMXT at Eagle Pass, Texas, and through Union Pacific's Port Laredo Intermodal Terminal at Laredo, Texas. This route is known for being the shortest and most efficient, resulting in minimal elevation gain and crew changes, ensuring rapid deliveries.
Kenny Rocker, Union Pacific's Executive Vice President of Marketing and Sales, emphasized the tangible benefits of their services, stating, "Hundreds of miles are saved on the Union Pacific route from Mexico to Chicago, eastern U.S. cities, and Canada compared to other solutions, and for our customers, this translates into service dependability and total delivered cost savings. We're excited to offer this one-of-a-kind service and expect our customers to win in the marketplace."
