Sheinbaum Highlights Infrastructure in First Annual Report

On Sept. 1, President Claudia Sheinbaum delivered her first annual report, highlighting infrastructure as one of the central priorities for her administration. The government detailed the launch of the National Infrastructure Plan 2025, a program worth MX$811 billion (US$43.35 billion), aimed at expanding rail systems, modernizing highways, upgrading ports and airports, and improving urban spaces. The administration expects these projects to create over 260,000 jobs.

Rail Projects Advance

Sheinbaum states that rail development is a cornerstone of her agenda. Following a constitutional reform in October 2024 that recognized passenger rail as a national priority, construction began on the AIFA-Pachuca and Mexico City-Queretaro corridors, with studies progressing for other routes such as Queretaro-Irapuato and Saltillo–Nuevo Laredo. The government has set a target of more than 3,000km of new passenger lines.

Works also advanced on the El Insurgente Train and the extension of the Suburban Train to the AIFA. Regarding freight transport, integration efforts include cargo operations on the Mayan Train and modernization of infrastructure under the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (CIIT), which also involves upgrades at ports in Coatzacoalcos, Salina Cruz, Dos Bocas, and Puerto Chiapas.

Road Modernization and Maintenance

President Sheinbaum’s report also outlined advances on large-scale road projects. These include advances at the Puente Nichupte in Quintana Roo and the Puente Rizo de Oro in Chiapas, which stand at 80% completion. The Mitla–Tehuantepec highway in Oaxaca (169 km) and the Las Varas–Puerto Vallarta route (33km) were completed, while modernization continues on the Patzcuaro–Uruapan highway in Michoacan.

In parallel, MX$1,969 million (US$105.27 million) was invested in maintenance of federal highways, covering 45,465km through routine conservation and resurfacing. Emergency works were also reported, such as the stabilization of the Acatzingo–Ciudad Mendoza highway in Veracruz following damage caused by landslides.

Airports and Aviation

Upgrades are underway at several airports: Loreto, Colima, Tepic, Ciudad Obregon, Puerto Escondido, and Mexico City International Airport (AICM). At AICM, improvements in runways and terminals helped push punctuality to 88% in the 1H25. Cargo traffic also grew by 5% year-on-year.

Mexicana de Aviación, relaunched as a state-run carrier, has transported over 600,000 passengers since its reopening. A new Embraer 190/195 E2 aircraft joined the fleet in July 2025, with four more expected this year.

Ports and Maritime Infrastructure

The government reported MX$5,449.9 million (US$291.33 million) invested in 40 port projects across Veracruz, Manzanillo, Lazaro Cardenas, Salina Cruz, and other terminals. In Salina Cruz, the first phase of modernization was completed, including Latin America’s largest breakwater, which is 1,600m long.

Cruise tourism also grew, with 8.4 million passengers recorded between October 2024 and June 2025.

Federal Road Transport

Sheinbaum also highlighted the state of the federal road transport system, which continues to be the backbone of freight and passenger mobility in the country. Between October 2024 and June 2025, road freight reached 430.3 million t, a modest increase of 0.7% compared to the previous year. Passenger traffic also rose slightly, with 2.88 billion people transported, representing a 0.8% annual increase. The vehicle fleet grew notably, with 1.48 million cargo units and 189,674 passenger units, a 7.1% and 1.3% rise, respectively.

The country now operates 1,002 passenger terminals, of which 401 are central and 601 are individual, reflecting gradual expansion in intercity connectivity. Regulatory and safety enforcement also intensified, she stated. Authorities carried out over 3,400 inspections of specialized carriers and 133,769 weight and dimension checks, 7.2% more than in the same period of the previous year. Standardized formats for infractions, as well as mandatory semiannual emissions and mechanical inspections, were introduced to raise compliance standards. To further enhance safety, over 60,000 in-operation medical examinations were performed on drivers, marking an 11.5% increase from the previous year.

Urban Programs and Territorial Planning

Urban improvement programs were another key part of the report. Through the Urban Improvement Program (PMU), the government launched 153 community projects across Mexico City, Chiapas, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, and Veracruz between October 2024 and June 2025. These works, ranging from public spaces, markets, and sports facilities to cultural centers and urban rehabilitation projects, are reported to benefit over 1.5 million residents. Additional investments targeted the Isthmus region, where 23 mobility works worth MX$99.7 million (US$5.33 million) were carried out in 15 municipalities of Chiapas and Oaxaca, improving infrastructure for more than 120,000 people.

Sheinbaum also mentioned regulatory advances, including those in developing a General Law on Territorial Planning and the implementation of NOM-003-SEDATU-2023, which sets technical standards for land use planning. Between October 2024 and June 2025, 34 territorial and urban programs were either created or updated, with technical assistance provided for an additional 12, she added. Authorities also processed 142 technical-opinion requests, covering projects ranging from major transport corridors to new industrial parks. Among these was support for the site selection of PODECOBI industrial parks, with 27 proposed sites evaluated on territorial viability.