Tren del Norte Eyes 70,000 Daily Riders as Right-of-Way Clears

SICT says the Tren del Norte network is being designed to move up to 70,000 passengers per day across two priority corridors: Mexico City–Queretaro–Irapuato  and Saltillo–Nuevo Laredo. As authorities advance right-of-way processes, the project is moving from planning into early works, positioning passenger rail as a new backbone for regional mobility and connectivity to key industrial and border hubs.

Mexico’s passenger-rail revival is taking shape in the north, as the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications, and Transport (SICT) projects that the Tren del Norte network will move up to 70,000 passengers per day across two priority corridors now in development: Mexico City–Queretaro–Irapuato  and Saltillo–Nuevo Laredo.

According to information released by SICT through the Agency of Trains and Integrated Public Transport (ATTRAPI), the two routes will add up to 730km of service, largely leveraging existing rights-of-way to accelerate delivery and reduce land-acquisition complexity. The program is part of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s broader push to restore intercity passenger trains as a mobility alternative and a tool for regional development.

SICT’s demand split reflects two different travel markets. The Mexico City–Queretaro–Irapuato  corridor spans 334km and is projected to carry about 50,000 passengers per day, driven by dense commuting and business travel between Bajio industrial hubs and the capital region.

The Saltillo–Nuevo Laredo corridor covers 396km and is projected at 20,000 passengers per day, tying together key northern nodes, Saltillo’s industrial base, Monterrey’s metropolitan scale and the border gateway at Nuevo Laredo.

This northern segment has also been framed by state and federal officials as the first buildout of the Mexico City–Nuevo Laredo passenger link, with initial work launched on a 100km stretch in Salinas Victoria, Nuevo Leon.

In Nuevo Leon, federal, state, and municipal authorities previously signed a coordination agreement to advance legal and administrative steps for land release tied to the project.

MBN reports that the Tren del Norte concept spans 1,200km in total, with the first segment focused on the 396.34km Saltillo–Nuevo Laredo section crossing Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas, and targeting roughly 7 million passengers per year. At the time of that agreement, SICT said 71% of the right-of-way for the corridor had already been released and that all sections had been tendered, an indicator that engineering packages and procurement planning are already staged to move quickly once land access is secured. 

Operationally, SICT says the service will rely on a fleet of 47 trains, split between a short-itinerary configuration (capacity for 632 passengers) designed for metro-area frequency and station density, and a long-itinerary configuration (271 passengers) intended for longer intercity runs.

Onboard, SICT has emphasized universal accessibility features such as priority seating, wider circulation space to accommodate luggage, and passenger-information systems for station arrivals, positioning the service as an inclusive alternative for regional travel. The trains are expected to be around 100m long and use diesel-electric traction, with SICT citing a maximum speed of 160km/hr. 

In earlier project descriptions, the line has been referenced with design speeds ranging from 160200km/hr to 200km/hr on exclusive passenger track, suggesting operating profiles could vary by segment geometry and final systems integration. 

SICT reports that Alstom México won the manufacturing award following a tender process whose decision was issued in December 2025, with the first trainset scheduled to arrive in June 2027.

Construction activity differs sharply by corridor. On the Queretaro-Irapuato segment, SICT reported ongoing installation of track as well as the buildout of stations, stops, maintenance bases, yards and viaducts, while additional tenders are underway for auxiliary buildings and for signaling, control and telecommunications systems aimed at improving operational safety.

On the Saltillo–Nuevo Laredo route, SICT says work focuses on the longest and most complex stretches, particularly around the Monterrey metropolitan area, where authorities opted to split works into parts to improve execution efficiency. Activities include track installation plus construction of viaducts, stations, and auxiliary buildings, alongside engineering work and geotechnical analysis, and clearing/earthworks across roughly 171km.

Project-level details released previously suggest significant civil works across the first segment. These include a viaduct, multiple vehicle crossings, railway bridges and drainage works, as well as a construction employment impact in the tens of thousands. Governor of Nuevo Leon Samuel García has also pointed to integration opportunities with Monterrey’s Metro lines 4 and 6 as a way to extend the benefits of intercity rail into urban mobility systems.

The next inflection points will be:

• Continued right-of-way liberation to sustain uninterrupted construction across municipalities

• Awards for signaling/telecom packages that determine operating headways and safety performance

• Delivery of the first rolling stock in June 2027, which will anchor testing and commissioning timelines for early operations.