BN teams up with South Orient - Burlington Northern railroad now has Mexico freight links since buying the Fort Worth, Texas South Orient railroad - Brief Article

Railway Age, Sept, 1992

Burlington Northern, the only one of the four largest western railroads without a direct connection with Ferrocarriles Nacionales de Mexico, now has one, through a connection with the South Orient Railroad at Fort Worth.

South Orient began operations last January, with purchase of a line formerly owned by Santa Fe. South Orient operates between San Angelo, Tex., and a border crossing at Presidio-Ojinaga. The short line gets to Fort Worth through a haulage agreement with Santa Fe.

BN now has both rail and water connections with Mexico. Last November, it formed a joint venture with Grupo Protexa S.A. de C.V. to integrate rail and barge service between the U.S. and Mexico, under Protexa Burlington International S.A. deC. V.

The new rail route is being called "El Vacquero."