Mexico investing US$1.7bn in rail infrastructure in 2015

The Mexican government will this year invest some 29.7bn pesos (US$1.7bn) to expand rail infrastructure in the country.

Of this total, 26.3bn pesos, or 88.7%, will come from public sector, and around 3.37mn pesos, or 11.3%) will be provided by the private sector, according to figures from the third annual government report presented on Wednesday by Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto.

Of the total investment outlined for railways this year, the government spent approximately 12.3bn pesos between January and August.

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The report did not specify which rail projects had received or would receive the money.

This year cargo and passenger movement on the country's rail lines will reach 120Mt tonnes and 50mn people respectively, according to the report.

PROJECTS

The government also informed on the progress of two major rail projects, the Mexico City-Toluca high-speed train and Line No.3 of the light rail system in Guadalajara.

The Mexico City-Toluca high-speed train, which is forecast to be able to transport 230,000 passengers per day, is 25% complete and is expected to start operations in 2017.

Meanwhile, Line No.3 of the light rail system in Guadalajara is 32% complete and is also expected to start running in 2017. The trains on this line will be able to transport 233,000 passengers a day at maximum speeds of 90km/h.

The Mexico City-Toluca high-speed train involves the investment 42.7bn pesos, while the Guadalajara light train requires a total 17.7bn pesos. Between January and August this year the government invested around 8.7bn pesos of this amount in the two projects.