Mexican railroad company Ferromex said Tuesday, Sept. 19, that it is stopping service for 60 routes after migrant injuries and deaths. The routes that travel toward the U.S. border have been faced with thousands of migrants climbing on board and hopping between freight cars.
According to the rail company, more and more migrants are hitching rides on trains headed north. The company noted that on just one train heading toward Ciudad Juárez, as many as 1,000 migrants could be catching a ride.
“In recent days, nearly half a dozen unfortunate cases of injuries or deaths have been recorded among groups of people who, individually or in families, including girls and boys, boarded freight trains on their route to the north, despite of the serious danger that this implies,” the company said in a statement.
According to Ferromex, the 60 halted trains carried enough cargo to fill 1,800 tractor trailers, adding that international trade may be affected until this gets sorted out.