Mexico‘s federal government has prioritized the expansion of the country’s railway system for both freight and passenger transportation.

As a starting point, in July 2023, the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation announced an investment of 145.9 billion pesos for the construction and renovation of 209 kilometers of four passenger transportation systems.

These systems are: the Interurban Train; the Lechería Branch Suburban Train (which serves the Felipe Ángeles International Airport); the Chalco-Santa Martha Trolleybus; and the extension of Line 12 of the Mixcoac-Observatorio Metro. 

The investment will also be used for the ongoing construction of 2,500 kilometers of railroad tracks in southeastern Mexico.

Mexico has a freight railway system owned by the federal government and operated by various entities under concessions (charters) granted by the national government.

Railway system

The following are three highlights from the past year:

On September 15, 2023, the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transport announced the inauguration of «El Insurgente,» the Mexico-Toluca Interurban Train, comprised of four stations that will benefit half a million inhabitants of the Toluca metropolitan area.

Secondly, on November 20, 2023, the Decree that establishes the public passenger railroad transportation service within the Mexican Railroad System as an area of primary focus for national development was published in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF).

Then, on December 15, 2023, the Mayan Train began operations from Campeche to Cancun.

One week later, on December 22, 2023, the Interoceanic Train began operations from Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz to Salina Cruz, Oaxaca.

Priority projects

Infrastructure has been a priority for the administration of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador since he took office in December 2018. 

The announcement of the Construction and Modernization Program (2018-2024 included four priority projects worth more than $20 billion:

• A redesigned airport system for the Mexico City metropolitan area and surrounding states.
• Development of a multimodal cargo corridor in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.
• A «Mayan Train» for passengers and cargo in the Yucatan Peninsula.
• The construction of a new refinery in Dos Bocas, Tabasco.