Requirements for Allowing Construction of Shuttle, Grade or Underpass Crossing of Railroad Tracks

The following are the requirements that need to be met when submitting a request to allow the construction of a railroad crossing involving KCSM tracks.

The first step is to requestthe project’s authorization by the corresponding State SCT Center. Once the authorization is given, the following documentation needs to be sent to the KCSM offices at Av. Manuel L. Barragán, No. 4850 Norte, Colonia Hidalgo, C.P. 64281 in Monterrey, N.L.:

·         A written application for the requirements needed to obtain the construction permit, addressed to Gilberto A. Martínez Vaquero, Derecho de Vía y Ocupaciones Marginales, at Kansas City Southern de México, S.A. de C.V.

·         The original and 4 sets of copies of the project’s description, justification and cost estimate reports, with an attached copy of the authorization and the payments made to the Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes.

·         The original and 4 sets of copies of the authorized plan (properly stamped and signed by the SCT) indicating the line and kilometer where the work is supposed to be done. The plan should have the project highlighted in red and the limits of the right of way highlighted in green. The plan should also be presented signed by a responsible engineering expert with a professional license.

·         A copy of a photo Identification, the letter of Appointment and Power of Attorney for Administrative Acts by the Legal Representative, as well as Legal Background of the soliciting Entity such as RFC, Decree of Creation or Incorporation Agreement and Proof of Address. This is for the Crossing Agreement to be signed with the railroad, where the rights and obligations of the official agent will be established.

·         An official letter of consent to enter into contract for a crossing with the railroad tracks, in exchange for the payment of a specified amount in accordance with Article 34 of the Regulating Law of Railroad Service.

·         A copy of the deposit slip for the amount agreed upon (it will be calculated as soon as the copy of the plans authorized by the SCT and the schedule for the work at the site are presented).

Minimal Technical Requirements for a Crossing Involving KCSM Tracks

Underpass crossings:

• All infrastructures that need to cross under the railroad tracks must be protected by a steel jacket, of preferably schedule 40, and placed all along the width of the right of way.
• The protection jacket must be designed to resist the strain generated by the Load Train Cooper E-80.
• The minimal depth needed, measured vertically from the rail skid to the spine of the protecting jacket, should be no less than 2.5 meters.
• The construction procedure will be through directed perforations or horizontal thrusts.

Shuttle crossings:

Fiber optic or telephone line.

• The minimal height needed should be 10.5 meters, measured vertically from the rail head to the overhead contact line.
• The poles where said lines are to be attached to should be planned for outside of the right of way concession.

Electric energy lines.

• The height that is to be solicited depends on the voltage used.

 Grade separations:

Overpass bridges.

• The minimal height needed, measured vertically from the rail head to the inferior part of the bridge’s superstructure, should be at least 7.5 meters.
• The bridge’s substructure (platform or support beam) should be planned for outside de right of way concession. When this is not possible, a minimum of 8.5 meters should be respected, measured horizontally from the axle of the last existing rail track to the substructure’s interior slab.

Underpass bridges.

• It should be designed to accommodate at least one rail track on each side of the existing track or tracks.
• The bridge should be planned with the design load Cooper E-80.

Pedestrian bridges.

• The minimal height needed, measured vertically from the rail head to the inferior part of the bridge’s superstructure, should be at least 7.5 meters.
• The bridge’s substructure (platform or support beam) should be planned for outside the right of way concession. When this is not possible, a minimum of 8.5 meters should be respected, measured horizontally from the axle of the last existing rail track to the substructure’s interior slab.

Grade crossings.

• The construction of a grade crossing at a vehicular level is not allowed when:

• There is an existing crossing of the same kind at a distance of 1 kilometer or less,
• It’s at less than 500 meters before or after a horizontal curve,
• It’s in a yard zone,
• It’s next to railroad bridges.

• Grade crossings should note the signs regarding its type of classification, which is obtained from the Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM-050-SCT2-2001.

Peripheral installations.

• Shuttle and/or underpass peripheral installations should be planned on the limits of the right of way concession.
• Planning/inspection chambers inside the right of way should be avoided.
• The peripheral grade installations (roads) should be avoided as much as possible. When they cannot be avoided, they should be planned on the limits of the right of way, always making sure the road’s bearing level stays under the rail track’s level.