ARTF Publishes Tender for Saltillo–Nuevo Laredo Passenger Rail

The Regulatory Agency for Railway Transport (ARTF) will publish the tender for Section A of the Saltillo–Nuevo Laredo passenger train on Dec. 5. The segment covers 18.1km within the Monterrey Metropolitan Area. Section B, spanning 30.7km, is already in the bidding process, while additional public tenders for the stations between Derramadero and Garcia, in the Coahuila–Nuevo Leon region, are also underway.

President Claudia Sheinbaum has highlighted national progress in northern rail projects, stating that reviving Mexico’s passenger rail system is central to the government’s development strategy. She emphasizes that the privatization of railways decades ago led to the abandonment of passenger service and the economic decline of communities that depended on it, arguing that the State must rebuild and operate passenger rail infrastructure to drive development while enabling private participation.

Saltillo–Nuevo Laredo Corridor

Andrés Lajous, Director, ARTF, reports steady engineering progress across the Saltillo–Nuevo Laredo corridor. Environmental assessment studies for the full route are complete, and right-of-way liberation is underway in ejido zones. Detailed engineering advances include 8.18% on Section I from Saltillo to Santa Catarina, 51.06% on Section IV from San Javier to Arroyo El Sauz, and 18.17% on Section V from Arroyo El Sauz to Nuevo Laredo. 

The agency also confirms that basic engineering for the entire route is now 100% complete. Coordination with the Government of Nuevo Leon continues to ensure a connection between the rail line and the Metrorrey system currently under construction.

Queretaro–Irapuato Segment

Engineering works also continue to advance on the Queretaro–Irapuato corridor. Section I from Queretaro’s industrial zone to Apaseo el Grande is 65.15% complete, while Section II from Apaseo el Grande’s industrial zone to Irapuato is 6.08% complete. Embankment structures are being installed and foundations are being prepared for a new railway bridge. Further tenders for auxiliary buildings and maintenance bases remain active as part of the broader project rollout.

Mexico City–Queretaro–Irapuato

On Dec. 3, the federal government finalized the tender for 47 new passenger trains that will serve the Mexico City–Queretaro–Irapuato route. These units will incorporate 65% national content and are designed to serve over 100,000 passengers per day. Each train will measure 100m in length, allow coupling of two units, carry up to 700 passengers including 315 ergonomic seats, and include universal accessibility features. Their design draws from the visual identity of the “El Insurgente” Interurban Train and Mexico’s national colors. Lajous says that three manufacturing proposals are being evaluated to determine the best balance between technical performance and pricing.

Phase I Construction and National Rail Network Development

Mexico is executing Phase I of its new passenger rail network, which began this year and consists of 787km of dedicated tracks across the Mexico City–Pachuca, Mexico City–Queretaro, Queretaro–Irapuato, and Saltillo–Nuevo Laredo routes. While the Mexico City–Pachuca line will operate using electric trains, the rest of the network will utilize diesel-electric equipment capable of reaching speeds between 160km/h and 200km/h. Construction is being carried out in close coordination with SEDENA’s Agrupamiento de Ingenieros “Felipe Ángeles,” which is overseeing several fronts of heavy civil works.

Construction Progress on Central Mexico Corridors

Progress on the Mexico City–Pachuca corridor includes five active heavy construction fronts, catenary energization efforts, and engineering studies that collectively generate over 9,000 jobs. On the Mexico City–Queretaro corridor, there are 14 active work fronts, 12 dedicated to heavy construction and two to engineering studies — supporting the creation of over 11,000 jobs. In parallel, Mexico has begun basic engineering studies for 1,409km of future routes, including Queretaro–San Luis Potosi, San Luis Potosi–Saltillo, Irapuato–Guadalajara, and Mazatlan–Los Mochis. These studies cover demand forecasting, economic analysis, and urban and social impact evaluations.

New Compliance Requirements

This week, the ARTF also introduced a new regulatory framework governing safety practices for building passenger rail infrastructure that coexists with active freight railway operations. Published through COFEMER, the new Guidelines for Safety in Passenger Train Operations Coexisting with Freight Trains aim to eliminate operational and safety risks arising from construction activity near freight lines, a regulatory gap that previously exposed workers and rail crews to significant hazards and threatened cargo operations. 

The rules create a new category of Safety Coordination Personnel responsible for monitoring work in freight corridors, coordinating directly with freight concessionaires, ordering the removal of machinery and personnel when trains approach, and enforcing all traffic control documentation and procedures. These supervisors must undergo specialized training validated by freight operators or approved third parties, and construction companies must submit identification documents, medical certifications, and toxicology results for ARTF accreditation before these specialists can operate in shared infrastructure zones.

The guidelines introduce uniform signaling requirements, define clear pedestrian routes, prohibit workers from standing on or between tracks, and require authorization from both Safety Coordination Personnel and freight concessionaires before entering safety zones. All temporary signage and protective equipment must remain unobstructed and in optimal condition at all times. 

The ARTF will oversee enforcement, with violations subject to sanctions under the Railway Service Regulatory Law and, in serious cases, potential civil or criminal liability, MBN reports.

Mexico is advancing one of the largest rail expansions, according to ARTF, the government is investing MX$1.31 trillion (US$68.44 billion) to add 3,400km of railway nationwide. For 2025 alone, the administration allocated MX$157 billion (US$7.6 billion) to expand passenger rail routes and adapt the Mayan Train for cargo operations, a strategy expected to generate 70,000 direct and 140,000 indirect jobs.