Mexican government to consolidate passenger and freight trains: Lajous Loaeza

This is an automated translation of the original release published in Spanish.

From Government of Mexico

• Approval by two thirds of the congresses of the Federative Entities to the Reform of the 28th Constitution, the State regains the right to provide passenger service, said the Head of the ARTF
• The current government started with three projects: Mexico-Pachuca Train, Mexico-Querétaro Train, for passengers, and Mayan Train for cargo.
• This transport system will allow for a reduction in travel times, greater safety, better quality of life, reduced carbon footprint and provision of service to isolated communities.

With the approval yesterday by two thirds of the congresses of the Federative Entities of the Reform of Constitutional Article 28, the Mexican State regains the right to use railway lines to provide passenger transport services, said the Head of the Railway Transport Regulatory Agency (ARTF), Andrés Lajous Loaeza.

Before President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, the official highlighted that during this administration, studies began on three railway projects: the Mexico-Pachuca Train (105km) where people who make this journey will save 25 percent of their travel time, with 1 hour and 20 minutes.

The Mexico-Querétaro Train (225km), where studies began with the support of the National Defense Secretariat (Sedena). The time savings for those who make the trip on a daily basis will be around 40 percent (it will take 1 hour and 40 minutes).

Studies were also carried out so that the Mayan Train can have cargo operation.

At a press conference, he stressed that the aim of the reform is to promote passenger train services from the State.

This will allow for a reduction in travel time, greater safety, a better quality of life, a reduction in the carbon footprint (more efficient than other modes of transport) and will provide services to isolated communities, because during the privatization process they were connected by passenger trains that stopped operating.

In the Treasury Room of the National Palace, the head of the ARTF said that the constitutional reform includes railroads (for both passenger and cargo transportation) in its text, and they are priority areas for national development in accordance with Article 25 of the Constitution.

To this end, the Federal Executive Branch may grant allocations to public companies or concessions to private individuals.

“President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo will continue and the return of passenger trains will be accelerated,” he emphasized.

In the coming years, this administration aims to build 3,000 kilometers of railroad tracks that will allow for the operation of passenger trains, and it is also a priority to strengthen the freight service.

Lajous Loaeza highlighted that during the administration of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, passenger trains returned. And in order to operate the 2,240 kilometers that were put into service, three public train operating companies were created: the Tren Maya, the Ferrocarril del Istmo de Tehuantepec and, with Banobras, “El Insurgente” México-Toluca.

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