At the second annual awards ceremony in Mexico City on December 6, Kansas City Southern de Mexico recognized ArcelorMittal, Cemex, Dow Química Mexicana, ExxonMobil, Mexichem, M&G Polímeros, Petróleos Mexicanos, Ternium and Vitro. By choosing to use rail on shipments that could have moved by truck, these companies reduced their carbon footprint by avoiding the generation of 316,823 tons of CO2 by shipping their freight via rail.

"KCS is proud to provide customers with a greener alternative for their transportation needs," said KCS de Mexico president and executive representative Jose Zozaya. "The confidence these nine customers have in KCS, together with their efforts to build a more sustainable future for all, is great motivation for continuing to invest in innovative technology that helps us conserve our natural resources."

Railroads are more energy efficient than trucks for moving large volumes over long distances. A freight train moves a ton of freight an average of 484 miles on a single gallon of fuel. According to a recent independent study produced for the Federal Railroad Administration, railroads on average are four times more fuel-efficient than trucks. Railroad fuel efficiency is up 106 percent since 1980. Because greenhouse gas emissions are directly related to fuel consumption, railroads have a lower carbon footprint. Moving freight by rail instead of truck reduces gas emissions by 75 percent, on average.

In his address at the ceremony, KCS executive vice president sales and marketing Pat Ottensmeyer said, "At KCS, we're pleased to partner with our customers in their environmental sustainability efforts. We are committed to providing you with consistent, reliable, energy-efficient services. Thank you for choosing KCS."