Most Interesting Border crossed by Train (Land)

[zwk500]

Has there ever been (and if so, when did they stop) through passenger trains between USA and Mexico (i.e. not passengers making their own way across the border between connecting trains) ?

According to Wikipedia, a direct service from Mexico to Texas stopped in 1969: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Águila_Azteca_(train)

 

[Taunton]

According to Wikipedia, a direct service from Mexico to Texas stopped in 1969: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Águila_Azteca_(train)

USA Tramcars actually continued until 1971 in the twin cities of El Paso TX/Juarez, Mex. I actually chanced to see one, though did not ride, in their last summer. They ran nonstop over the border going into Mexico (no checks at all), but coming back you had to alight at the border, go through the USA immigration building, and then get the next tram. Most surprisingly the redundant PCC trams were then dumped out in the desert for the next 50 years, didn't go irretrievably rusty, and were then recently extensively overhauled and put back in service, now just on the USA side.

 

[coubpro]

The fact that they managed to restore and return those PCCs to service is amazing. It’s like a piece of mid-20th century still rolling on today.

 

[AdamWW]

USA Tramcars actually continued until 1971 in the twin cities of El Paso TX/Juarez, Mex. I actually chanced to see one, though did not ride, in their last summer. They ran nonstop over the border going into Mexico (no checks at all), but coming back you had to alight at the border, go through the USA immigration building, and then get the next tram. Most surprisingly the redundant PCC trams were then dumped out in the desert for the next 50 years, didn't go irretrievably rusty, and were then recently extensively overhauled and put back in service, now just on the USA side.

Interesting. When I walked into Mexico from San Diego in the late 90's ago my recollection is that I walked past passport control into Mexico without anybody wanting to see my passport, though there certainly were checks on the way back in to the US.

I was somewhat surprised (it would have been too easy to accidentally cross without a passport and get somewhat stuck on the way back).

I think I was told that there were roadblocks further into Mexico where you would be turned back if you hadn't voluntarily gone through passport control and got your passport stamped.

 

[zwk500]

Most surprisingly the redundant PCC trams were then dumped out in the desert for the next 50 years, didn't go irretrievably rusty, and were then recently extensively overhauled and put back in service, now just on the USA side.

Presumably it being a desert there wasn't much moisture to cause rust! The US desert is used for storage of old planes as well. Impressive that they got them working again because rust and moisture might not have been a problem but I bet the desert didn't do it many other favours.

 

[Taunton]

Presumably it being a desert there wasn't much moisture to cause rust! The US desert is used for storage of old planes as well. Impressive that they got them working again because rust and moisture might not have been a problem but I bet the desert didn't do it many other favours.

It's an impressive project they did!

How El Paso's Streetcars, Left for Dead in the Desert, Rose Again

A phony ad campaign. A forgotten transit graveyard. The story of how this Texas city resurrected its streetcar system takes an unusual track.

reasonstobecheerful.world

Apparently they all had to be carefully checked for rattlesnakes!

 

[coubpro]

It's an impressive project they did!

How El Paso's Streetcars, Left for Dead in the Desert, Rose Again

A phony ad campaign. A forgotten transit graveyard. The story of how this Texas city resurrected its streetcar system takes an unusual track.

reasonstobecheerful.world

find out more here
Apparently they all had to be carefully checked for rattlesnakes!

This is a good example of how cities can rethink infrastructure - you don't have to build from scratch when you can give a second life to existing, even abandoned, infrastructure, like in El Paso.

 

[parkender102]

10 years ago I took the White Pass and Yukon from Carcross, Yukon, Canada to Skagway, Alaska, US. We didn't stop at the border, but in Skagway, we had to remain in our seats, with our passports held up and open, while an agent walked briskly through the car and glanced at everyone.

I travelled on the White Pass and Yukon last year from Skagway - just the normal trip from Skagway up to White Pass and back. However after White Pass the Train goes around a Return Loop (the Divide Loop) that actually crosses the border into Canada and then passes back over the border again into the US (Alaska). No Passport checks as the train doesn't actually stop in Canada. I don't recall being asked to take our Passports either so in theory you could end up stranded in Canada with no Passport having gone through no passport checks should the train break down on the Canada side of the border.

 

[John-H]

There is a line in Canada from Thunder Bay to Winnipeg which runs close to the US border. At one point, the line is straight but the border isn't, so there are 26 miles of track inside the US. I took the passenger train just before it was cancelled in the '80s, and when we stopped at the border the US agent came on board. He determined that one woman was ticketed to a US station and gave her the border formalities, then counted the rest of us and announced to someone on the radio "26 people, counting the baby".

The woman got off at her stop, and when we reached the further border, someone else came on board and verified that we were indeed "26 people, counting the baby".

 

[WessexEclectic]

There is a line in Canada from Thunder Bay to Winnipeg which runs close to the US border. At one point, the line is straight but the border isn't, so there are 26 miles of track inside the US. I took the passenger train just before it was cancelled in the '80s,...

Last Train to Medicine Hat? - Was this when the trans Canadian trains were being 'rationalised'?

The linked video at 23:00 mentions this also happens/happened between Halifax and Montreal (L'Ocean route?).

 

[AdamWW]

The linked video at 23:00 mentions this also happens/happened between Halifax and Montreal (L'Ocean route?).

Not the Ocean - that stays entirely in Canada rather than taking a short cut through Maine.

 

[John-H]

The transcontinental "Canadian" took a different route from Thunder Bay to Winnipeg. This train was a single car "Budd Car" and served local passengers on the route.

 

[Cloud Strife]

Interesting. When I walked into Mexico from San Diego in the late 90's ago my recollection is that I walked past passport control into Mexico without anybody wanting to see my passport, though there certainly were checks on the way back in to the US.

It's still hit or miss as to whether they actually check passports or not on entry, because they have the interior checkpoints (about 30km inland) where they check everyone. A lot of the border crossings don't bother checking people in cars, and travellers often have to park up to get a stamp/permit if they need it. From what I understand, Mexico abolished the "free zone" in 2015 for pedestrians and they should have entry permits, but it seems that it's very random as to whether they actually check pedestrians or not.

Some reports suggest that Mexico has had enough with the US and that they're now demanding that all American citizens are checked and the form filled out, while continuing to ignore other people who only want to visit the border towns.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Jul 2025 ==

Although the San Diego Trolley light rail system reaches the San Ysidro border crossing, where you can cross the border on foot pretty easily and Tijuana is supposed to be building a mass transit system to meet it directly on the other side. I appreciate that it doesn't constitute a heavy rail border crossing though.

I've never understood why it doesn't continue over to Tijuana. The space is there to build a new station in Tijuana to serve it, preclearance isn't a problem for the US, and it would be a sensible transport link.

 

[Amalie]

I've never understood why it doesn't continue over to Tijuana. The space is there to build a new station in Tijuana to serve it, preclearance isn't a problem for the US, and it would be a sensible transport link.

I do not disagree but I don’t particularly think there’s much of a political will with the current administration. Even with a more liberal administration there’s already a large backlog of sorely needed rail improvements in the US domestically.

 

[AlastairFraser]

I've never understood why it doesn't continue over to Tijuana. The space is there to build a new station in Tijuana to serve it, preclearance isn't a problem for the US, and it would be a sensible transport link

I think it wouldn't pass a cost-benefit analysis. It's only a short distance walking over the border from the Tijuana public transport system, you'd have to duplicate the existing pedestrian San Ysidro frontier with border control or a preclearance system for the trolley (even if you restricted it to SENTRI/Viajero Confiable holders, you'd still need some form of clearance), and you'd need to delay the trolley at either end to double check for people who were trying to cross illegally in either direction.

What you could do is give Tijuana a proper tram/light rail system, build a northern terminus as close to the northern frontier as possible, and then significantly expand the capacity of the pedestrian crossing to make sure the wait time is 10 mins or less on average. You could also introduce a bus-based solution using the Otay crossing as a backup.

 

[Cloud Strife]

I think it wouldn't pass a cost-benefit analysis. It's only a short distance walking over the border from the Tijuana public transport system, you'd have to duplicate the existing pedestrian San Ysidro frontier with border control or a preclearance system for the trolley (even if you restricted it to SENTRI/Viajero Confiable holders, you'd still need some form of clearance), and you'd need to delay the trolley at either end to double check for people who were trying to cross illegally in either direction.

Looking now, maybe the more sensible approach would be to extend the trolley to the CBX? It's about a 5km extension, but it could pay off given that the CBX is a huge success despite the ridiculous fees charged for it.

 

[AlastairFraser]

Looking now, maybe the more sensible approach would be to extend the trolley to the CBX? It's about a 5km extension, but it could pay off given that the CBX is a huge success despite the ridiculous fees charged for it.

True, it would be a good alternative to the existing trolley station at San Ysidro