U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) railway recently entered into a public-private partnership to increase security between the United States and Mexico at the Laredo Rail Port of Entry in Laredo, Texas.
CPKC has donated a Vehicle and Cargo Inspection System Integrated Rail 6500 system to the CBP to scan and adjudicate cargo entering and exiting the United States. The system will allow for 100 percent scans of all trains traveling through the port, expediting inspections. It features an Exploranium SRPM-210 radiation portal monitor to detect, locate, and categorize radiation threats.
“We are committed to the safety and security of goods moving by rail across the U.S.-Mexico border,” James Clements, CPKC executive vice president of strategic planning and corporate services, said. “This equipment, funded by CPKC and donated to CBP, is a key component in our industry-best secure international trade rail corridor between the United States and its largest trading partner, Mexico.”
In November 2024, CPKC submitted a formal proposal under the CBP Donations Acceptance Program to donate the equipment, and a Donation Acceptance Agreement was executed in December.
A system is operational on the Patrick J. Ottensmeyer International Railway Bridge connecting Laredo to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.