UP applies for permit to operate cross-border bridge

The Omaha, Neb.-based Class I railway applied for a Presidential Permit to operate and maintain the Brownsville West Rail Bypass International Bridge.    The U.S. Department of State received an application from Union Pacific Railroad Company July 22 for a Presidential Permit to operate and maintain the Brownsville West Rail Bypass International Bridge, according to a Federal Register noticed published by the Department of State.
   The bridge was inaugurated last August and is the first new rail crossing constructed between the United States and Mexico since 1910. It connects Brownsville, Texas with Matamoros, Tamaulipas.
   Currently, the Presidential Permit for the bridge is held by Cameron County, Texas.
   The Department of State will evaluate Union Pacific’s application to determine if transferring the permit from the county to the Omaha, Neb.-based Class I railway would serve the national interest.
   Interested members of the public can submit written comments regarding this application on or before Sept. 22 to the U.S.-Mexico Border Affairs Office.