CMSA sets record rail volume in January
CONTECON Manzanillo (CMSA), a subsidiary of International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI), set a record in January when it handled 20,400 TEUs of rail cargo, a 68 percent increase from the same month in 2023. This marks the highest rail throughput in Manzanillo.
CMSA CEO José Antonio Contreras said: “The increased use of rail to receive and dispatch cargo is key for us. We started a growth plan together with customers and Feromex in 2021, which allowed us to gradually increase service volumes and reliability. Last January, we were able to move 23 percent of import cargo by rail and set a record for CMSA and the Port of Manzanillo.”
CMSA and CMA CGM launched the first block train service from the second specialized container terminal at the Port of Manzanillo to Valle de Mexico, which later included Monterrey in the rotation. It links the terminal to the two main consumption and production hubs in the country.
CMSA plans to expand its 2.2-kilometer rail tracks this year and acquire new loading and unloading equipment to increase its rail capacity by over 100 percent.
“In addition to the investment we are currently making in our container yards and docks, we are going to start the expansion of our railways in the coming months. Our goal is to double our rail volume by 2025 and take advantage of the resulting logistical and environmental benefits,” Contreras said.
CMSA aims to provide customers and port users with a logistical, efficient, and competitive alternative for the long distances between the Pacific Coast and major consumption and production hubs like the State of Mexico, Nuevo León, San Luis de Potosí, and Querétaro. The increase in rail freight helps reduce trucks’ daily flow in Manzanillo, improving sustainability and supporting the terminal’s future growth.
Promoting the movement of cargo via rail in Manzanillo not only benefits the terminal and supply chain stakeholders but also promotes economic growth and development in the region.
In 2010, ICTSI signed a 34-year concession for the development and operation of the second specialized container terminal at the Port of Manzanillo in Mexico. The subsidiary, Contecon Manzanillo SA de CV, will operate the port strategically located near major consumer markets and Mexico’s largest industrial areas, serving growing Asian trade.