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Laredo Gateway Railway Approved to Diversify Trade Corridor Beyond Trucking

The Surface Transportation Board authorized construction of a 2.6-mile short-line railroad in Laredo, Texas, marking the region's first modern rail-served industrial park. Kraus Development and Ironhorse Resources plan to begin work within three to six months, with service commencing approximately one year later. The railway will connect Gateway International Rail Park directly to Union Pacific's Laredo Subdivision, serving roughly 1,900 rail-accessible acres across the developers' 3,314-acre industrial complex near Interstate 35 and State Highway 255. The approval culminated a 15-month review process. Partners emphasized the railroad complements rather than competes with trucking at the nation's busiest U.S.-Mexico gateway, which processes 14,000 to 18,000 commercial trucks daily across two border bridges and handles $35 billion in annual trade.