MEXICO CITY — The Mexican government has identified seven routes where it seeks the establishment of passenger rail service under a decree issued Monday, an edict that will require the companies holding the nation’s freight concessions to operate those services or accommodate government-operated trains.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obardor announced his plan to issue the decree earlier this month [see “Mexican president says he will require …,” Trains News Wire, Nov. 9, 2023]. A draft version of the decree was released Friday, and CPKC, one of the concession holders though its CPKC de Mexico affiliate, said then that it was talking with the government about the passenger plans and had agreed to fund a capacity study for its Mexico City-Nuevo Laredo route [see “CPKC in discussions …,” News Wire, Nov. 17, 2023].
That 700-mile route is one of the three long-distance routes included in the edict released Monday, the Associated Press reports. The others are a 900-mile route from Aguascalientes to Ciudad Juarez, and a 1,350-mile route from Mexico City to Nogales.
BN Americas reports the other routes are Felipe Ángeles International Airport (Zumpango)-Pachuca, approximately 16 miles; Mexico City-Veracruz-Coatzacoalcos; Manzanilo-Colima-Gauadalajra-Irapuato; and Mexico state-Querétaro-León-Aguascaleintes.
CPKC and Grupo Mexico’s Ferrosur and Ferrovalle will have until Jan. 15 to present proposals on how they will accommodate the passenger service. But Courthouse News Service reports that if none of the proposals are ‘viable” the concessions revert to Mexico’s army and navy.
The law establishing Amtrak specifically gave passenger trains priority over freight traffic. Unfortunately, the freight dispatcher regularly violate this part if the law and Amtrak doesn’t hold them accountable for passenger train delays. Maybe Mexico will show Amtrak how to keep the trains on time.
We recently had a discussion about extended north/south passenger service on BNSF’s line along the Rio Grande River, where I suggested a continuous passenger service from Cheyenne, WY and Denver, CO, all the way south to and through Albuquerque, NM, and onto El Paso, TX. It did not occur to me at the time that that idea could possibly extend further south to and through El Paos,TX via Juarez Cuidad, MX, to Mexico City. IF that becomes profitable, Mexico, (as well as the U.S with perhaps Brightline), would be wise to electrify (catenary) that route, and with the added benefit of discouraging rooftop stowaways.
Mex-Trak here we go!
A route to Nogales will make it very is for the migrants to get to the border of the US. And as stated by others a map sure would have been nice.
So? Rail travel between the U.S. and Mexico is more important than a few migrants getting in…
A map of the 7 routes would be nifty.
Charles, presidential action has shaped Amtrak’s route structure; the largest cuts under Carter and more cuts in the 80s and 90s. Trying to get additional services takes a decade or more and always involves huge corporate welfare payments (eg, New Orleans to Mobile or Baton Rouge) to fix dilapidated infrastructure.
In Mexico the government has final authority. In the US corporations tell government what to do with their highest-bid politicians, lobbyists and lawyers. The banana republic is north of the Rio Grande too.
@ Greg. Thanks for making your points in reply to Charles. However the cuts under Carter, where due to the amount of appropriations did not cover the cost of all trains being run.
@Charles President Obama never had a third term. Assume you mean President Biden and if so, presidential executive orders have been increasing for a long time. And if you think he is bad, you aint seen nothing yet if a certain candidate regains his hoped for “Emperorship.”
Perhaps the US should require the same thing.
One would hope that in America it would be by Congressional action, not presidential decree as in Mexico.
Then again, given the way President Obama operates in his third term, presidential decree would be the more likely. As America becomes a banana republic.
Exactly, it’s beyond time to TELL the freights, passenger service on all your lines.