Mexico Issues US$6.2-Billion Tenders for National Rail Expansion

The Mexican government has launched two new tenders for intercity passenger rail corridors as part of the country’s national plan to build over 3,000km of new passenger lines by 2029, announced the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications, and Transport (SICT). 

The tenders span the Mexico City-San Luis Potosi and Mexico City-Guadalajara routes and are open to prequalified firms through the Compranet electronic procurement platform. Contracts will follow a design-and-construction model that includes building passenger stations, electrified double-track rail, maintenance depots, and connections to existing infrastructure.

The new projects aim to provide high-capacity links between key urban and industrial centers in central and northern Mexico. These projects join two other corridors already under construction — Mexico City-Queretaro and Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA)-Pachuca — which are being carried out by military and state-owned entities.

The AIFA-Pachuca line began construction in March 2025 under the Felipe Ángeles Engineers Corps of the Ministry of National Defense (SEDENA). The 64km route will connect AIFA with Pachuca, Hidalgo. Once completed, operations will transfer to the Olmeca-Maya-Mexica Airport and Railway Group. The project is budgeted at US$2.4 billion, with service expected to begin in 2027.

The Mexico City-Queretaro line broke ground in April 2025 and will span 225km, linking Buenavista station in the capital with Santiago de Queretaro via San Juan del Rio. It is being constructed with a single electrified track and is designed to transport up to 6 million passengers annually. The project has an estimated cost of US$3.8 billion and is scheduled to be completed by 2027.

These corridors are an integral part of Plan México. The initiative continues and expands on the previous government's efforts to revive long-distance passenger rail and improve regional connectivity.

Also included in the broader investment plan are the nearly completed Mayan Train and the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (CIIT). The Mayan Train, a 1,554km line in the Yucatan Peninsula, began construction in 2020. The CIIT, which links the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean, started construction the same year and began limited operations in 2023.

The national strategy spans multiple administrations and is intended to boost mobility, support regional economies, and modernize Mexico’s transportation infrastructure.