MEXICO: Rail transport regulatory agency ARTF and Alstom have signed a 20·2bn pesos contract for the supply of 47 four-car diesel multiple-units. These will be used on two emerging passenger rail corridors, one linking Mexico City with Querétaro and Irapuato, and the other connecting Saltillo with the US border, both of which are now under construction.
Trenes del Norte DMUs
The contract announced on December 15 in Mexico and confirmed by Alstom on December 26 includes comprehensive maintenance for five years, fitting out of the maintenance depots, inspection and refuelling stations, as well as technical training and commissioning of the trains. Alstom’s bid beat CAF’s offer in price, and CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive’s bid was disqualified.
The trains have been branded in Mexico as Trenes del Norte. They are to be manufactured at Alstom’s Ciudad Sahagún plant. No less than 76·6% of the content of the trains is to be produced in Mexico, according to Maite Ramos, Alstom’s General Manager for the North Latin American Region.
The trains’ design is inspired by several local elements including the Nahuatl language that originates from the 7th century, the Codex Boturini manuscript, and a puma.
Of the 47 DMUs branded as Adessia Stream by Alstom, 33 are to be fitted out for long-distance journeys, and 14 for regional and suburban services. The higher density trainsets are to have 315 seats, and are expected to run in coupled pairs. The long-distance vehicles are to have a different interior configuration, enabling them to carry 265 seated passengers.
The 100 m long fully accessible trains are to be capable of running at up to 165 km/h top speed. They are to be equipped with an ETCS onboard unit, real-time passenger information systems, USB ports and power sockets.
Passenger rail revival on two routes
The trains wil be used on the Mexico City – Querétaro – Irapuato and Saltillo – Monterrey – Nuevo Laredo corridors, where additional tracks are currently being built. President Claudia Sheinbaum announced an ambitious passenger rail revival programme in September 2024, to be delivered over the first five years of her term. The programme comprises the construction of additional tracks next to existing freight railways on two main corridors totalling 3 000 km:
- Mexico City – Querétaro – San Luis Potosi – Monterrey – Nuevo Laredo (US border);
- Mexico City – Querétaro – Irapuato – Guadalajara.
The programme is being undertaken in phases, with the National Development Plan 2025-30 covering the delivery of the 334 km Mexico City – Querétaro – Irapuato, and the 396 km Saltillo – Monterrey – Nuevo Laredo routes.
Querétaro progress
Construction of the 226 km double-track railway between Mexico City and Querétaro started in April. ARTF reported 8% overall completion on December 20, with earthworks, structures and tunnelling advancing across multiple sections.
Various section of new double-track alignment are being built mostly adjacent to existing tracks, with exceptions where a straighter route is needed to achieve higher speeds. There will also be short sections of route shared between passenger and freight trains.
Services will start at Mexico City’s Buenavista terminus, and call at Huehuetoca, Tula and San Juan del Río. All intermediate stations are designed for multimodal transport hubs, able to accommodate future urban regeneration sites and more local feeder services.
Querétaro station is to be built on the site of the La Corregidora freight yard, which is in the city centre.
The government expects revenue services to launch between Mexico City and Querétaro in 2029. Ridership is forecasted to be 10 million passengers per year, and an end-to-end journey would take 2 h.
Civil works on the first 30·3 km of the 108 km Querétaro – Irapuato route between Querétaro and Apaseo started in September. These are being led by Mota-Engil which was awarded a 7·632bn pesos design and build contract by ARTF in August.
US border link
Construction started in September 2025 on two sections of the 396 km Saltillo – Monterrey – Nuevo Laredo line in the north of the country. Work is currently progressing through phased civil works and station development
ARTF awarded the consortium of ICA Constructora (leader) and Constructora El Cajón a 14·68bn pesos design and build contract to deliver a 105 km single-track section for passenger trains between Unión San Javier and Arroyo El Sauz, largely following the existing railway.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications & Transportation has awarded a 31·84bn pesos contract to the consortium of Operadora CICSA and FCC Construcción to design and build the 111 km from Saltillo to Santa Catarina.
The Arroyo el Sauz – Nuevo Laredo section and a Monterrey cross-city corridor are currently in the tendering phase.
