PANAMA LAND BRIDGE WILL OPEN IN JULY
A trans-Panama rail service linking the Atlantic coast port of Colon to the Pacific coast port of Balboa is expected to begin July 1.
The new Panama Canal Railway says it will cross Panama in one hour and 20 minutes.
The rail carrier expects to carry some 500,000 containers per year. Kansas City Southern Railway and Mi-Jack Products, a manufacturer of intermodal terminal equipment, will operate the service.
About 14,000 ships use the Panama Canal each year. Transit times range from eight to 12 hours.