The Mexican government plans to complete 13 new passenger train routes, covering over 3,000 km, by the end of the current administration, according to Andrés Lajous Loaeza, head of the Railway Transport Regulatory Agency (ARTF).
Construction on the first phase, spanning 786 km, is set to begin in the coming weeks. The AIFA-Pachuca section will launch in March, followed by Mexico City-Querétaro in April, and Saltillo-Nuevo Laredo and Querétaro-Irapuato in July.
A second phase, covering 910 km, will follow, including the Querétaro-San Luis Potosí, Mazatlán-Los Mochis, and Irapuato-Guadalajara routes. The third phase will add 1,145 km, with lines connecting Guaymas-Hermosillo, Guadalajara-Tepic, San Luis Potosí-Saltillo, and Los Mochis-Guaymas.
Additionally, a 552 km section, covering Tepic-Mazatlán and Hermosillo-Nogales, will be incorporated, bringing the total length of new train routes to 3,393 km.
According to preliminary studies, construction will prioritise high-demand areas to ensure operational sections are put into service as quickly as possible. These new routes will extend passenger rail coverage in northern Mexico, complementing existing services such as the Mayan Train, the Isthmus of Tehuantepec Train, and the “El Insurgente” Train.
Lajous Loaeza highlighted the economic and social benefits of the project, which will enhance connectivity between cities and metropolitan areas. The network will feature intercity and regional trains operating at speeds of 160 to 200 km/h, with a mix of main stations, secondary stations, and stops.
Before construction begins, the government will conduct pre-investment, environmental, technical, social, and right-of-way studies. The initiative was discussed during a meeting chaired by Communications and Transportation Committee Chairman Víctor Manuel Pérez Díaz and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Roberto Albores Gleason.
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