Four Mexican passenger rail projects to watch in 2023

Mexican authorities will be working to move forward with the construction of four passenger rail projects in Mexico City, and Jalisco, Nuevo León and Mexico states next year. 

The initiatives involve the modernization of line No. 1 of the Mexico City metro, a new metro line in Nuevo León state capital Monterrey, a light rail line in Jalisco state capital Guadalajara and a branch line to Felipe Ángeles international airport (AIFA) in Mexico state.

BNamericas takes a look at the works and how they are progressing. 

Mexico City metro modernization

Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum's administration plans to inaugurate the first part of the 32.3bn-peso (US$1.6bn) modernization of Mexico City’s metro line No. 1 in February after works began last June. 

The project was awarded in November 2020 to a Chinese consortium formed by locomotive supplier CRRC Corporation and CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive. The companies must supply the line with 30 new trains and replace its control system and rail infrastructure.

The consortium is currently working on the Pantitlán-Salto del Agua section, which runs through 12 stations. Once it is completed in February, the companies will move on to the second and final section between Balderas and Observatorio, which has eight stations. 

The works are being carried out while the metro line continues partial operations. The goal is to inaugurate the fully upgraded line in August. 

Guadalajara light train

On December 19, infrastructure, communications and transport minister Jorge Nuño Lara and Jalisco state governor Enrique Alfaro oversaw the start of works on the 20bn-peso (US$1bn) line No. 4 of Guadalajara’s light train system.

Unlike all other projects on this list, the federal and state governments decided to award a public-private partnership (PPP) contract to carry out the design, planning, construction, equipment and operation of the line, and in October, a consortium led by Portuguese conglomerate Mota-Engil was named the winner. 

The 21km, eight-station line will connect central Guadalajara and Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, creating a link with line No. 1 and the Mi Macro Periférico BRT beltway corridor.

Construction will take 22 months and the line is expected to be inaugurated in 2024, before President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and governor Alfaro finish their respective terms. 

The line will be built at ground level and parallel to a freight rail line that is operated under a concession by Ferromex. 

Monterrey metro

Mota-Engil also won a 25.8bn-peso contract in September to build metro lines No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6 in state capital Monterrey. The company joined forces with Chinese state-owned locomotive manufacturer CRRC to bid for the contract. 

The works reportedly started that same month and the goal is to complete all three lines by August 2027.

The new metro lines will have a combined length of 34km and will connect with the downtown area and Santa Catarina and Mederos municipalities.  

Mexico state airport branch line

The infrastructure, communications and transportation ministry (SICT) will begin the final stage of construction of the 25bn-peso Lechería rail branch next year. The line will link Mexico City to the AIFA airport at the Santa Lucía military airbase north of the city. 

In October, head of the SICT, Jorge Nuño, said the passenger rail line was 36% complete and would be completed by the end of 2023. 

While there were few progress updates in 2022, BNamericas did report that the ministry launched five tenders this year to build two vehicular bridges, acquire 55,429 concrete crossties and supply and install a ventilation system for the tunnel section.

The 23km Lechería line will be an extension of the suburban train system between Buenavista station in Mexico City and Cuautitlán in Mexico state.

Works for the whole project are being carried out by the ministry, the project’s main supervisor; defense ministry Sedena, which finished the AIFA terminal in March; agrarian, territorial and urban development ministry Sedatu; and Spanish railway operator CAF.