Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s president-elect, has outlined a bold vision for the country’s transportation infrastructure, declaring her intent to commence the construction of several major passenger train lines on the first day of her administration. This ambitious plan, announced on Wednesday, includes the development of train routes connecting Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) to Pachuca, Mexico City to San Luis Potosí, Monterrey to Nuevo Laredo, and Mexico City to Querétaro and Guadalajara. These projects collectively cover over 1,200 kilometers and will utilize existing rights of way.
Sheinbaum is committed to seeing these projects through within five years and has indicated that preliminary work is already underway. Although the total investment required has yet to be determined, she emphasized that, similar to the Mayan Train project, private companies and engineers from the National Defense Secretariat (Sedena) will be integral to the construction efforts.
“We are going to do it. It is a decision we have made,” Sheinbaum stated during her press conference. This announcement followed President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s morning remarks, where he highlighted Sheinbaum’s plan to revive passenger train services in Mexico.
Among the seven railway projects Sheinbaum proposed since November 20, two (Mexico-Veracruz, eventually extending to Nogales, Sonora, and Mexico-Nuevo Laredo) require negotiations with freight concessionaires Ferromex and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) to gauge their interest in participating in these ventures.
For the AIFA connection, also backed by the Hidalgo government, there is a potential collaboration with CAF, the concessionaire and builder of the Suburban Train, to operate the route up to the Buenavista station.
“We are already studying the first thing, which is the right of way. We have to come to an agreement with the concessionaires. They keep the cargo and we can make passenger lines on the same right of way. Or, as is being done in AIFA, moving cargo lines and putting passenger lines on new lines… it would be more expensive, but it would give the possibility of being confined and with speeds of up to 160 km per hour. The objective is to have the analysis of the right of way before entering the government to make the tenders,” Sheinbaum explained.
Potential for Chinese Trains
As part of the ongoing agreement between the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT) and the freight service concessionaires, Ferromex recently presented progress on technical studies to assess the new service’s viability. CPKC is expected to provide its findings by the end of this month.
CPKC’s involvement is crucial for the two longest-range trains, as its concession includes the right of way from Mexico City to León, passing through Querétaro, and extending to Nuevo Laredo. The track from Irapuato to Guadalajara, however, is owned by Ferromex.
If private entities show no interest, the Presidential Agreement allows Sedena or the Navy to take over, similar to the Mayan Train and the Trans-Isthmic Corridor projects.
Sheinbaum emphasized her desire to ensure these projects and the production of rolling stock generate employment and economic benefits within Mexico. She pointed out that trains could potentially be manufactured domestically, highlighting Alstom’s facility in Ciudad Sahagún, Hidalgo. Additional contributions might come from companies like CAF, located in Huehuetoca, State of Mexico, or CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive, with a plant in Querétaro.
Alstom is currently producing trains for the Maya Train, while CRRC, a Chinese company, secured contracts for the renovation of Metro Line 1 and the sale of rolling stock during Sheinbaum’s tenure as Head of Government of Mexico City. CAF also participated in these tenders.
Expanding Mexico’s Rail Network
As of the end of 2022, the Mexican railway network spanned 26,914 kilometers, according to the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation. This includes 20,856 kilometers of trunk roads and branches (77.4%), 4,533 kilometers of secondary roads (16.8%), and 1,555 kilometers of private roads (5.8%). Of the trunk roads and branches, 17,624 kilometers are concessioned, accounting for 84.7%.
The concessions were awarded during former President Ernesto Zedillo’s administration, following a constitutional reform that allowed private company participation through concessions, replacing the state’s exclusive control. This transition led to the complete disappearance of the already diminished passenger transport service managed by the state-owned Ferrocarriles Nacionales.
Sheinbaum’s proposal to reinstate and expand passenger train services reflects a significant shift in Mexico’s transportation policy, aiming to modernize and enhance connectivity across the nation.