Baja California Railroad

Baja California Railroad

Dates of operation	2010–
Headquarters	Av.Ferrocarril #1, Col. Libertad Parte Baja Tijuana, Baja California C.P. 22300
Website	http://bajarr.com/eng/

Baja California Railroad, Inc.(BJRR) is a class III railroad operating in the northwest of Baja California, interchanging with San Diego and Imperial Valley Railroad in San Ysidro, California and in the future with the Pacific Imperial Railroad (PIR)^[1] in the East frontier.

Operations began in 2012 using 71.48 km. (44.42 miles) of the former Ferrocarril Tijuana y Tecate track, which was constructed in 1910 by the San Diego & Arizona Railway from San Diego to El Centro. The BJRR is the technical operating and maintenance assistant of the rail line's Baja California segment under agreement from the manager of the railroad, ADMICARGA, a Baja California government entity.

BJRR biggest clients are Z Gas, North StarGas, Empacadora Rosarito, cervecería Cuahutemoc-Moctezuma in Tecate which receives large amounts of grain and corn syrup imports.^[2] Other clients receive shipments such as borax, pig lard, lumber, steel, paper, and cattle feed.^[3]

In February 2013, the local Baja California Directors of BJRR announced an investment of $20 million to upgrade the neglected track.^[3] The first area to be developed will be the first 20 kilometers from the border in Tijuana to El Florido as far as Matanuco. Work started in May 2013 with the building of the Tijuana railroad yard; the focus was on more track capacity, in conjunction with the upcoming San Ysidro Freight Rail Yard Improvement Project by SANDAG.

After the change of administration, Baja California Railroad has optimized their resources and installations strengthen its business structure. Today, BJRR counts with an up-to-date machinery with excellent levels of maintenance. 71.4 km of track were restored^[4] changing the caliber of the track from 75 to 112 and 115; this will allow an increase from 4,800 cars per year to 12,000 cars to move on this track. On this new implementations, it has a constant register and an ETA (Estimated Time Arrival) report following an agreement with the SDIV (San Diego Imperial Valley).

Route and stations

Map

Tijuana Station

Now with a parking capacity for 68 cars of 60’ (feet);^[5] now it has a three story building of 1,000 m2, where the new administrative office is located: offices for ADMICARGA, control center of operations and logistics, customs control office, customs agency (broker), SAGARPA and the State Committee of Vegetable Sanity (CESV). On the same place you can do the paperwork for the motions control and integral attention to importers. On the other hand, in this building, you can find the old railway station built in the late 20’s, which will become a railway museum.

García Station

After remodeling this station, the storage capacity increased to 3,400 m2, which 435 m2 are for cold storage:^[6]

• 3 refrigerated chambers with a 17,500 ft3 capacity
• 1 cold chamber with a 5,800 ft3 capacity
• Refrigerated deconsolidation area of 201 m2
• 2 direct unload doors from wagon to a deconsolidation platform and
• 2 doors to refrigerated shipments

With 4 direct unload doors from car to storage room and 4 shipment doors from storage to trailer.

Besides, García Station has a two story building with 470 m2 with offices to do the paperwork, reception area, customer service, administrative and logistics office.

References

1. García Morales, Irais. "Proyecto feroviario binacional va tomando forma". Sintesis CAAREM. Retrieved 2015. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
2. Santillán, Roberto (October 4, 2015). "Promueve Baja Rail Road transporte de carga en tren". Diario Tijuana. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
3. Santillán, Roberto (October 11, 2015). "Aumentará competitividad de B.C con obras de la vía corta". Diario Tijuana. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
4. Cervantes, Sandra (March 13, 2015). "Reporta 10% de avance rehabilitación de vía Tijuana-Tecate". El Economista. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
5. Mondragón, Adán (August 30, 2015). "Buscan mejorar vía férrea de Tijuana-Tecate". El Mexicano. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
6. "Buscan mejorar vías del ferrocarril para aumentar competitividad mega región". El Tijuanense. August 31, 2015. Retrieved November 25, 2015.