ARTF Tenders Monterrey Segment of Saltillo-Nuevo Laredo Rail

Mexico’s Regulatory Agency for Railway Transport (ARTF) has issued the official tender bases for a new construction package of the Saltillo–Nuevo Laredo passenger train, a flagship northern corridor within President Claudia Sheinbaum’s push to revive passenger rail as a development tool.

The procurement corresponds to an international open tender No. LO-09-D00-009D00999-I-3-2026, aimed at awarding a multi-year, lump-sum public works contract for the “Construction and design of 8.854km” of the line under Segment 15 “A1”, located in the Monterrey Metropolitan Area.

According to the tender document, the 2026 authorized allocation for this package totals MX$1.97 billion (US$108.30 million), including VAT, with commitments for later fiscal years subject to future budget availability.

ARTF sets out a structured schedule for bidders. The bases show the publication date on ComprasMX as Dec. 18, 2025, followed by a site visit on Dec. 22, 2025, a clarifications meeting on Dec. 23, 2025, and the submission and opening of proposals on Feb. 6, 2026.

For execution, the tender establishes a planned start date of March 9, 2026 and a construction period of 998 calendar days. It also includes an advance payment of 20%, amortized proportionally through monthly progress estimates. 

The bases describe the works as taking place in Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas, with the objective of connecting the Monterrey metro area with Nuevo Laredo.

How This Fits into “Section A” of the Corridor

ARTF has stated it will publish the tender for Section A of the Saltillo-Nuevo Laredo passenger train on Dec. 5, covering 18.1km within the Monterrey Metropolitan Area. In parallel, Section B (30.7km) is already in the bidding process, while additional public tenders for stations between Derramadero and Garcia (Coahuila–Nuevo Leon) are also underway.

A key operational dimension for passenger-rail construction in Mexico is that new infrastructure frequently interfaces with existing freight concessions. ARTF’s "Concessions Annex” establishes minimum safety guidelines for construction of new passenger tracks within the right-of-way of freight concessionaires, defining elements such as operational windows authorized by the concessionaire and the role of certified flaggers to coordinate and monitor train proximity during works.

At the beginning of the month, Andrés Lajous, Director, ARTF, reported steady technical progress across the corridor. Environmental assessment studies for the full route are complete, and right-of-way liberation is underway in ejido zones. On detailed engineering, ARTF reports advances of 8.18% on Section I (Saltillo–Santa Catarina), 51.06% on Section IV (San Javier–Arroyo El Sauz), and 18.17% on Section V (Arroyo El Sauz-Nuevo Laredo). The agency also states that basic engineering for the entire route is now 100% complete, and coordination with the Government of Nuevo Leon is ongoing to ensure connectivity between the new passenger line and the Metrorrey system under construction, MBN reports.

President Claudia Sheinbaum frames the revival of passenger rail as central to Mexico’s national development strategy. She argues that the privatization of railways decades ago contributed to the abandonment of passenger service and weakened communities that depended on it, making the case that the State must rebuild and operate passenger rail infrastructure, while still enabling private participation where appropriate.