CG Railway

What CG Railway does

CG Railway, LLC is a private U.S. Class III railroad operating as a 60/40 joint venture between Grupo Mexico Transportes SAB de CV (60%) and Genesee & Wyoming Inc (40%), founded in 1999 and headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. The company's sole product is a roll-on/roll-off rail ferry service that transports loaded railcars across the Gulf of Mexico between the Port of Mobile, Alabama and the Port of Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico. It operates two specialized 590-foot double-deck rail ferries (Cherokee and Mayan), each with capacity for 135 railcars at 286,000 lbs gross weight, achieving a 3-day port-to-port transit at speeds up to 14 knots and a sailing frequency of every 3–5 days. CGR supports boxcars, hoppers, tank cars, flatcars, gondolas, autoracks, and specialty rail equipment, and is certified to transport a broad range of hazardous materials.

The business model is transaction-based freight pricing supplemented by a published monthly fuel surcharge (FSC 306, e.g., $0.445/mile for February 2025) and a published tariff (CGR TARIFF 2.0 2024). Revenue is generated via quote-based enterprise sales to cross-border shippers — primarily bulk commodity, chemical, and hazmat carriers — with a six-step onboarding process and dedicated account management. The service is differentiated operationally by an EDI-integrated single rail waybill covering the entire cross-border route, pre-clearance customs for the majority of shipments, and direct interchange relationships with all major U.S. (BNSF, CN, CSX, NS, AGR, CPKC), Canadian, and Mexican (Ferrosur, Ferromex, FIT, KCSM, TFVM, Tren Maya) railroads.

The company has no disclosed external funding (it is funded entirely by its two JV parents), no public revenue disclosure, and a small headcount of 11–50 employees. Its competitive position rests on the exclusivity of the Gulf of Mexico rail corridor, the capital intensity of its specialized fleet, its hazardous-materials certification, and its structural embedding in two of North America's largest rail networks through its parent ownership.

Name

CG Railway

Legal name

CG Railway, LLC

Website

https://cgrailway.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CG Railway operates a roll-on/roll-off rail ferry service between Mobile, Alabama and Coatzacoalcos, Mexico, transporting up to 135 railcars per vessel across the Gulf of Mexico. It serves enterprise cross-border shippers — bulk commodity, chemical, and hazmat carriers — via a 60/40 joint venture between Grupo Mexico Transportes and Genesee & Wyoming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rail Ferry / Cross-Border Rail Freight Services

NAICS

Short Line Railroads (482112), Line-Haul Railroads (482111)

SIC

Railroads, Line-Haul Operating (4011)

akta.pro primary industry

Cross-Border Rail Freight Operators (International Corridors) (TLADACAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Unit Train & Dedicated Contract Rail Services (TLADACAK)

Keywords

• Cross-border rail freight
• Rail ferry service
• Roll-on roll-off transport
• Gulf of Mexico shipping
• Intermodal rail marine

Headquarters

HQ city

Jacksonville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Freight Charges: Base freight charges for rail ferry transport of railcars between Port of Mobile, AL and Port of Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico. Rates vary by origin/destination and commodity type.
2. Fuel Surcharge (FSC): Fuel surcharge calculated by multiplying per-mile surcharge rate by FSC miles. Example: $0.445 per mile for February 2025. Applies to all shipments in addition to base freight.
3. Tariff Services: Tariff-based pricing for carriage terms and supplemental services. Published tariff documentation available for download (CGR TARIFF 2.0 2024).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CG Railway operates two double-deck 590-foot roll-on/roll-off rail ferries that transport railcars across the Gulf of Mexico between Port of Mobile, Alabama and Port of Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico, with 135-railcar capacity per vessel and a 3-day port-to-port transit. The service integrates with participating U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads via a single EDI-based waybill, offers pre-cleared customs processing, and is certified for hazardous materials transport. Dedicated bilingual commercial and customer service teams coordinate freight quotes, rate negotiations, and account management for cross-border rail shippers.

Product overview

CG Railway (CGR) is a rail-ferry service company offering a single unified product: operating two double-deck 590-foot roll-on/roll-off rail ferries (Cherokee and Mayan) that transport railcars across the Gulf of Mexico. The core CGR Rail-Ferry Service connects Port of Mobile, Alabama with Port of Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico, carrying up to 135 railcars per vessel with 3-day port-to-port transit. This core service is supported by complementary add-on modules including Rail Equipment Transportation (handling various railcar types including hazardous materials), the Single Rail Waybill system (via EDI integration), the Fuel Surcharge Program (FSC 306), CGR Tariff documentation, a Shipping Process Management workflow (6 steps from rate inquiry to loading), an online Quote Request System, a Sailing Schedule system with vessel tracking, and Bilingual Customer Support Services. The company also facilitates connections with major U.S., Canada, and Mexico railroads through interchange partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CGR Rail-Ferry Service Core service operating two double-deck 590-foot roll-on/roll-off rail ferries (Cherokee and Mayan) transporting railcars across the Gulf of Mexico between Port of Mobile, Alabama and Port of Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico. Each ferry has capacity for 135 railcars with 286,000 lbs gross weight per railcar and a 3-day port-to-port transit time. Designed for cross-border rail shippers, railroads, and freight forwarders requiring U.S.-Mexico rail ferry service.
• Rail Equipment Transportation Rail ferry service moving private and system rail equipment of all sizes, including boxcars, hoppers, tank cars, flatcars, centerbeams, gondolas, autoracks, rail specialty cars, and maintenance of way equipment. Does not handle breakbulk, intermodal containers, or isotanks. Targeted at railroads, shippers, and private railcar owners with cross-border freight between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
• Hazardous Materials Transportation Certified rail-ferry transport of hazardous substances including explosives, flammable and non-flammable gases, flammable solids, oxidizing substances, organic peroxides, toxic substances, and corrosive liquids and solids. Targeted at chemical, industrial gas, and hazmat shippers requiring certified cross-border rail transport with regulatory documentation.
• Fuel Surcharge Program (FSC 306) Published tariff-based fuel surcharge program applied to all CGR shipments, calculated by multiplying the per-mile surcharge rate (e.g., $0.445 per mile for February 2025) by the number of FSC miles in the route. Targeted at all CGR shippers in addition to base freight charges.
• CGR Tariff Services (CGR TARIFF 2.0) Published tariff documentation (CGR TARIFF 2.0 2024) setting carriage terms and supplemental services pricing for CGR rail freight services. Downloadable as a PDF and applicable to all shippers contracting for rail ferry transport.

Quantifiable outcome

• Port-to-port transit in 3 days (956 rail miles across Gulf of Mexico)
• +4 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Alabama & Gulf Coast Railway (AGR)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorU.S. interchange partner at Port of Mobile (MOBIL). Connects CGR service to broader U.S. rail network.
• BNSF RailwaycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorU.S. interchange partner via AGR at AMORY. Major Class I railroad connecting CGR to western U.S. rail network.
• Canadian National Railway (CN)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorU.S. interchange partner at Port of Mobile (MOBIL). Major Canadian railroad connecting CGR to Canadian rail network.
• CSX TransportationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorU.S. interchange partner at Port of Mobile (MOBIL). Major Class I railroad connecting CGR to eastern U.S. rail network.
• Norfolk Southern RailroadcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorU.S. interchange partner at Port of Mobile (MOBIL). Major Class I railroad connecting CGR to southeastern U.S. rail network.
• Ferrosur SA de CV (FSRR)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMexico interchange partner at Coatzacoalcos (COTZS). Part of Grupo Mexico Transportes, connecting CGR to Mexican rail network.
• Ferromex (FXE)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMexico interchange partner via FSRR at COTZS-FSRR-LECHE. Major Mexican railroad connecting CGR to expanded Mexican network.
• Ferrocarril del Istmo de Tehuantepec (FIT)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMexico interchange partner at COTZS-FSRR-COTZS. Rail operator serving the Isthmus of Tehuantepec region.
• Terminal Ferroviaria del Valle de Mexico (TFVM)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMexico interchange partner at COTZS-FSRR-LECHE. Terminal railway serving Mexico Valley region.
• Kansas City Southern de Mexico (KCSM)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMexico interchange partner connecting CGR to KCSM rail network in Mexico.
• Tren Maya (TMY)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMexico interchange partner via FIT-PALQE-TMY. Rail operator for southeastern Mexico region.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Norfolk Southern: Norfolk Southern is a U.S. Class I railroad and a direct U.S. interchange partner for CG Railway at Mobile. It is comparable as a broad incumbent rail operator with overlapping customer base in bulk commodities and chemicals — segments that CGR also serves via its hazmat-certified ferry.
• Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC): CPKC is the merged Class I railroad formed by Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern, providing direct U.S.-Mexico-Canada rail connectivity via land borders. It is comparable as a large incumbent cross-border rail competitor to CG Railway's Gulf of Mexico route, and is also the parent of Genesee & Wyoming (40% owner of CGR).
• CSX Transportation: CSX is a U.S. Class I railroad and a direct U.S. interchange partner for CG Railway at the Port of Mobile. It is comparable as a broad incumbent offering cross-border and bulk rail freight services with overlapping customer segments to CGR.
• BNSF Railway: BNSF is a major U.S. Class I railroad that interchanges with CG Railway at Mobile. It is comparable as a broad incumbent offering overland U.S.-Mexico cross-border rail service and as a critical U.S. rail access point for CGR's ferry traffic originating in the western U.S.
• Union Pacific Railroad: Union Pacific is a U.S. Class I railroad with extensive cross-border rail capability to Mexico via land gateways. It is comparable as a broad incumbent competitor for U.S.-Mexico rail freight and a potential U.S. rail interchange partner for CGR's Mobile-served traffic.
• Canadian National Railway (CN): CN is a Canadian Class I railroad and a direct U.S. interchange partner for CG Railway at Mobile. It is comparable as a broad incumbent cross-border rail operator serving the same North American (U.S./Canada/Mexico) freight corridor that CGR addresses via its Gulf ferry.

Direct peers

• Kansas City Southern de Mexico (KCSM): KCSM is a major Mexican railroad connecting the U.S. and Mexican rail networks via land crossings (Laredo/Nuevo Laredo). It is a directly comparable cross-border rail competitor and interchange partner to CG Railway for traffic that could alternatively move via land rather than the Gulf ferry.
• Ferromex (FXE): Ferromex is the largest railroad in Mexico and a sister entity to CG Railway via shared ownership under Grupo Mexico Transportes (which owns 60% of CGR). It is directly comparable as a Mexican cross-border rail operator and the primary interchange partner connecting CGR's Coatzacoalcos terminal to the wider Mexican rail network.
• Ferrosur (FSRR): Ferrosur operates the southeastern Mexican rail network terminating at Coatzacoalcos — the same port where CG Railway unloads railcars. As part of Grupo Mexico Transportes, it is a directly comparable cross-border rail partner and the immediate Mexican-side interchange for CGR.

Regional players

• Ferrocarril del Istmo de Tehuantepec (FIT): FIT is a Mexican state-owned rail operator serving the Isthmus of Tehuantepec region and a direct interchange partner for CG Railway at Coatzacoalcos. It is comparable as a regional player connecting CGR's terminal to southeastern Mexican markets.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CGRailway-RailFerry/featured
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cgrailway

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CG Railway