Army to build Sheinbaum’s first flagship infra project

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum kicked off her flagship infrastructure projects by greenlighting the pre-construction works of a rail line the military will build. 

The 64km passenger line will connect Felipe Ángeles international airport (AIFA) outside Mexico City with Pachuca in Hidalgo state.

“All the studies are beginning, the project had already started [during the previous administration] especially with the rights of way for the train, but now the Lidar flight starts, which is a technology that allows topographic surveys that can tell us what the problems along the route are,” Sheinbaum said during her Monday morning press conference.

The president also said the infrastructure, communications and transport ministry (SICT) will receive the funds for the project and military engineers will carry it out. 

“Now [agrarian, territorial and urban development ministry] Sedatu will be involved to know if we have all the rights of way, the environment ministry has authorized the start of the studies. The SICT will receive the resources and there will be a collaboration with military engineers to carry out these works,” she said.

According to SICT head Jesús Esteva Medina, capex for the project is estimated at 50bn pesos (US$2.5bn). The project was crafted during the previous Andrés Manuel López Obrador administration and was also known as the Tolteca train but did not advance as quickly as expected. Sheinbaum, who took office October 1, mentioned the completion of the project during her election campaign, as did runner-up Xóchitl Gálvez.

Sheinbaum also said during her press conference that she held meetings with three international train manufacturers to discuss rolling stock for the project, namely France’s Alstom that has a plant in Hidalgo state, Spain’s CAF that has a plant in Huehuetoca, in Mexico state, and Siemens.

“There will be a public international bidding process and our interest is that most of it is manufactured in Mexico,” she said.

The project is meant to be ready by the end of 2026 and the start of operations is envisaged for 1Q27.

The private sector has called for the army to be kept out of infrastructure projects such as those carried out under López Obrador.

“With this action, the soldiers of Mexico reaffirm our commitment to get involved in the construction of strategic works that the progress of the country requires,” said general Ricardo Trevilla, head of the defense ministry (Sedena) during a ceremony on the weekend, news outlet Proceso reported.

The federal government is still evaluating if the new passenger train projects Sheinbaum aims to build during her administration will be operated by the same companies created by López Obrador that are in the hands of the defense ministry and the navy. 

“There is a public company that president López Obrador created that is in Sedena, they manage the Maya train, and the navy ministry [Semar] also has a company that manages the interoceanic corridor. We are evaluating if the new trains will be managed by them or by another entity, but they are trains for public service, not private,” she said.