FIT’s US$8.50 million Rail Advisory Contract Predates Crash

The state-owned Isthmus of Tehuantepec Railway (FIT) had awarded contract FIT-GAOP-ADQ-30-25 to Consultoría Integral en Ingeniería (CONIISA) for a rail-operations advisory services before the accident on Dec. 28, reports El Sol de México. 

The contract is valued at MX$152.62 million (US$8.50 million) and runs from August 2025 through Dec. 31, 2026, according to the same reporting and contractual descriptions cited in coverage. 

In its initial press release, Mexico’s Navy (SEMAR) said the incident occurred “at the height of Nizanda” on Line Z, with 241 passengers and nine crew members onboard (two locomotives and four railcars). SEMAR initially reported 20 injured and said it deployed ambulances and naval medical personnel, coordinating the response with authorities across levels of government.

Subsequent updates reported by major outlets put the toll at at least 13 deaths and 98 injured, with 36 receiving medical care, while investigations continued. Oaxaca state authorities also reported emergency deployments and patient transfers across facilities in the Isthmus region.

The FIT–CONIISA Contract

El Sol de México reports that FIT’s FIT-GAOP-ADQ-30-25 contract awarded CONIISA the “Railway operations advisory and consulting services” for the rail lines assigned to the Interoceanic Train.

As described in coverage citing the technical annex, the scope includes technical accompaniment to operating personnel, specialized reporting, rail simulations, service design and timetable work, and reviews tied to rolling stock and locomotives, framed around maintaining operations for freight and passenger services within permitted operating parameters.

The ASF Audit Track

In parallel, ASF’s Public Account 2022 audit materials for “Construction and Equipping of Naval Facilities in the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec” record MX$20.16 million (US$1.12 million) as amounts pending clarification.

ASF’s simplified audit summary also notes the project’s MX$203.60 million in 2022 spending (US$11.34 million) and references the audit’s observations and follow-up actions. ASF states there were concepts paid but not executed, including items such as electrical and equipment components, verified during an ASF/agency site inspection in October 2023.

ASF further states that some work was executed but did not comply with required specifications, including items in sanitary fixtures, partitions, manholes/grates, HVAC (minisplits), and related components, again tied to on-site verification.

Separately, ASF recorded multiple construction quality deficiencies (finishes, cracking, damaged tiles, and more) but said these were not quantified as a monetary impact.

The Line Z derailment took place as CIIT advances a broader logistics strategy to reshape freight and industrial connectivity in southern Mexico, reports MBN. The project envisions 1,200km of rehabilitated rail, modernized ports in Coatzacoalcos, Salina Cruz, Dos Bocas, and Puerto Chiapas, and a network of industrial development poles offering tax incentives to attract investment.

Under the Institutional Program of the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (PICIIT) 2025–2030, CIIT aims to strengthen multimodal connectivity, develop higher-value manufacturing hubs, and improve policy coordination across four southern states representing a combined population of over 5 million.