Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador recently announced a revolutionary decree to convert some 20,000 kilometers of Mexican railways from freight to passenger service. The initiative, which aims to reduce pollution and revitalize the neglected railway system, invites concessionaires to participate in the transformation by modernizing and electrifying existing lines.
The President stressed that the concession companies, including major players such as Kansas City Southern de México, Ferromex, Ferrosur, and Ferrovalle, have until January to express their commitment to this transformative programme. If they refuse, the state will launch its independent passenger train service on the same network.
"First of all, we will give priority to those who already have concessions for freight trains, so that they can present us with a project within a reasonable period and convert the tracks used for freight trains, of course by repairing, modernizing, and electrifying them, because this will help us a lot to tackle the problem of pollution," said López Obrador.
While underscoring the legal priority of passenger trains in timetables, López Obrador highlighted the economic benefits and comfort offered by this mode of transportation. The proposal comes on the heels of the 150th anniversary of Mexico's first passenger train service, a symbolic milestone signaling a renewed focus on rail travel.
However, details of possible government subsidies for the passenger service were not explicitly mentioned. The need to electrify the railways faces logistical hurdles due to the dominance of diesel in freight train operations.
