Interoceanic Train Advances With New Stations, Regional Links

Last weekend, President Claudia Sheinbaum led the inauguration ceremonies for the Tonala and Arriaga stations of the Interoceanic Train, part of Section 1 of Line K, during a visit to the state of Chiapas.

“Beginning tomorrow, you can already purchase your ticket. You can go from here to Tonala, from here to Ixtepec, from there to Salina Cruz, from Salina Cruz to Coatzacoalcos, and from Coatzacoalcos to Palenque,” states Sheinbaum.

The event began at the Tonala station, where Sheinbaum performed the ribbon-cutting and unveiled a commemorative plaque marking the return of passenger rail service. She then traveled to the Arriaga station, toured the Linear Park, and announced that starting Saturday, Nov. 22, passengers will be able to travel the full route to Ixtepec, Oaxaca.

She also confirmed that construction works will continue: “The line will extend from Tonala to Ciudad Hidalgo, at the border with Guatemala, passing through Huixtla, where a beautiful viaduct is being built across the town.”

During her Monday press conference, Sheinbaum emphasized that the Interoceanic Train is “very important for the development of the southeast,” enabling both passenger and freight mobility while supporting the creation of Economic Development Poles for Well-being (PODECOBI). 

“This train is very important, especially this southern segment. Guatemala is also moving forward quickly, and the connection will greatly improve passenger and cargo transport between Mexico and Central America. We have always believed that the best way to reduce migration is by generating centers of well-being and development,” states Sheinbaum.

Sheinbaum adds that two new development poles are being built in Tapachula, another in Arriaga, and six additional poles along the Interoceanic Train’s Line Z.

People can now travel by rail from Tonala, Chiapas, to Ixtepec, Oaxaca; from Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, to Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz; and from Coatzacoalcos to Palenque, Chiapas. Work is underway to extend the line to Ciudad Hidalgo and eventually link the service to Guatemala.

She says that former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador inaugurated the segment running from Coatzacoalcos to Palenque, where the Interoceanic Train connects with the Maya Train, enabling travel onward to Merida, Yucatán. She highlighted ongoing improvements at Puerto Chiapas and Salina Cruz, both key logistical hubs.

Led by the Mexican Navy (SEMAR), the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (CIIT) is emerging as an effort to reshape the country’s logistics geography through 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. 

The corridor’s long-term strategy, set out in the Institutional Program of the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (PICIIT) 2025-2030, targets stronger multimodal connectivity, new high-value manufacturing hubs, and greater policy coordination across four southern states that together represent a population of more than 5 million.

The plan aims to position Mexico as a competitive global bridge, offering shippers a cost-efficient alternative to congested California gateways and a more reliable option than the drought-constrained Panama Canal. Emmanuel Neri, Head of the Investment Promotion and Business Development Unit, CIIT, said during the Mexico Business Summit 2025, that the project has 10 Development Poles along the 300km route. "By the end of the next year, Puerto Chiapas will be connected to Coatzacoalcos, and by mid-2027, Dos Bocas will be connected with a new 98km stretch that will join the FA line,” Neri says.