Train robberies in Mexico up 13% in Q3 2019

Written by David C. Lester, Editor-in-Chief
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Cybersecurity will be an increasing concern for railroad networks.
David C. Lester

Freightwaves is reporting that Mexican officials disagree on whether train robberies rose or fell during Q3 2019. According to Mexico’s Transport Regulatory Agency (ARTF), train robberies grew 13 percent in the third quarter of 2019, when compared to the previous quarter, which appears to mean Q2 of 2019, as opposed to Q3 of 2018.

According to the ARTF report, “It is now possible to make a comparison of the quarter to be evaluated with the four immediate previous quarters, which will allow for a more thorough analysis that takes into account the history of the system, in order to identify trends and be able to offer a broader picture of the current situation of the Mexican rail system.”

At the same time, though, Mexico’s undersecretary of security, Ricardo Mejia, says that train thefts have actually dropped during the past year. “In this crime of theft of trains, such as freight and vehicle transport, there has been a decrease – with just over a thousand complaints, compared to almost 1,500 in the previous year.” It’s not clear whether the “previous year” refers to YTD 2018 vs. YTD 2019, or Q3 2018 vs. Q3 2019.

Railroads that are targets of theft include Kansas City Southern De Mexico, Ferromex, and Ferrosur.

Regardless of the agency that is the most accurate regarding the rise and fall of train robberies in Mexico, the number of them is significant. The ARTF report also says that the types of items stolen included consumer goods, auto parts, and agricultural grains.

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