Mexico moves forward with long distance passenger train revival, upgrading key corridors and preparing four main-line projects to restore services on 3,000 km of track.
Mexico is pressing ahead with its long distance passenger revival, moving from planning into delivery with four major refurbishment projects lined up across its national rail network. Bidding has opened for contracts to upgrade infrastructure and reintroduce passenger services on two main-line railways, while two more schemes are due to start construction by the end of July.
The first two corridors under contract will see track renewal, signaling upgrades and station refurbishments on critical stretches that link Mexico City with Hidalgo and the State of Mexico. Rail authorities have identified these lines—each more than 100 km in length—as priority targets to rebuild capacity and reconnect regional centers with the capital.
By July’s close, crews will break ground on two further routes: one forging an inter-city link from Mexico City through Querétaro to Guadalajara, and another extending services northward from the capital via San Luis Potosí to Monterrey and Nuevo Laredo. Together, the four schemes will cover roughly 3,000 km of main-line track, fulfilling a commitment by the Secretariat of Communications and Transport to revive long-dormant passenger corridors.
This push follows decades in which freight dominated Mexico’s rail corridors and passenger trains were largely absent since the 1997 suspension of services by the former national operator. Recent years have seen a shift in strategy, with the government allocating budget lines for rail renewal and forging public-private partnerships to fund construction. Experts forecast that restoring these services will boost regional mobility, ease road congestion and foster economic ties among states.
The main-line upgrades complement high-profile regional projects already in operation or under construction. The Tren Maya, spanning 1,554 km across the Yucatán Peninsula, began partial service in December 2023 and has carried over 700,000 passengers in its first months, while the Interoceanic Train of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec reactivated passenger operations on Line Z in December 2023 and aims to reach speeds up to 100 km/h. Together, these initiatives reflect a nationwide drive to diversify rail offerings beyond freight and commuter links.
As contracts are awarded and work crews mobilize, Mexico’s rail network is poised for a transformation. Officials say the restored services will start to operate on a phased timeline, with the first passenger trains rolling out in late 2026 and full service on all four corridors achieved by 2028. If successful, the revival will mark the most significant expansion of inter-city passenger rail in Mexico in over half a century.
