Kansas City Southern, formerly known as Kansas City Southern Industries Inc., owns and operates a North American rail network that connects key commercial and industrial markets in the central United States with major industrial cities in Mexico. The Company's rail network (including KCSR, TFM and Tex Mex) is comprised of approximately 6,000 miles of main and branch lines and interconnects with all other Class I railroads. The Company's rail network provides customers with an effective alternative to other railroad routes, giving direct access to Mexico and the southwestern United States through less congested interchange hubs. Through a strategic alliance with Canadian National Railway Company and Illinois Central Corporation, the Company has created a contiguous rail network of approximately 25,000 miles of main and branch lines connecting Canada, the United States and Mexico.