The government of Mexico reported progress on the construction of the country’s major railroad industry projects.
In general, Mexico has a freight rail system owned by the national government and operated by various entities under concessions granted by the national government.
Most of the service is freight-oriented and the network connects major industrial centers with ports and with rail connections at the U.S. border.
From September 2021 to June 2022, construction work continued on the Monterrey and Celaya railroad beltways, under the responsibility of the concessionaire, with physical progress of 90 and 72%, respectively.
Likewise, the government is continuing with the negotiations for the release of the right-of-way for the Extension of Line 1 of the Suburban Train from the Lechería Station to the new Felipe Ángeles Airport.
Likewise, during this period, construction began on the new Railway Yard for cargo maneuvers and the preparation of the executive projects for seven vehicular and 10 crosswalks, which will allow for better mobility in the areas adjacent to the Suburban Train.
In May 2022, the Assignment Title was granted in favor of the Government of the State of Jalisco, to build, operate, exploit and provide public passenger rail transport service in the regular urban mode (L4 Guadalajara).
Railroad industry
The federal government has promoted state participation in the development of freight and passenger railroads in Mexico. As part of this initiative, two agreements were signed with Mexico City. These agreements reallocate resources for the «Toluca-Valle de México Passenger Interurban Train.»
A total of 1.3 billion pesos was allocated. Of this amount, 950 million pesos were disbursed in the first quarter, while 350 million pesos were set aside for the second quarter of 2022.
Additionally, the Railway Transportation Regulatory Agency (ARTF) completed profile-level studies for key projects. These include the Naucalpan-Buenavista Light Train, the Colima Regional Train, and the Derramadero-Ramos Arizpe (Coahuilteca) Suburban Train.
On the other hand, progress was made on the Xalapa Metropolitan Light Train. Completed studies included the project profile, operational concepts, initial demand analysis, and topographical, geotechnical, and environmental prefeasibility studies.
Moreover, the government finalized technical support for the studies of the García-Monterrey Airport Suburban Train.
Regarding the main project, the Mayan Train, significant investments have been made. These reached 92.39 billion pesos, representing 40% of the total 230 billion pesos the project will cost.