High-speed rail in Mexico

As of 2014 high-speed rail in Mexico is in the planning phases.

Mexico City–Querétaro High-Speed Railway

In 2014 tenders have been called for the build–operate–transfer of a high-speed rail line between Mexico City and Querétaro. This line would be 210 km long, 16 km on viaducts and 12 km in tunnels, with a design speed of 300 km/h. Expected completion date is by the end of 2017. It is intended to operate services hourly, with peak services every 20 minutes with an overall journey time of about 58 minutes. It is hoped to carry 23,000 passengers daily and remove 18,000 car journeys within the first year of operation. This will reduce a need to widen the existing highway to eight lanes, with also suffers from a poor safety record.[1]

In November 2014 it was announced, that a consortium Railway Construction Corporation was selected as winner. Consortium consists of China Railway Construction Corporation, CSR, GIA, Prodemex, Teya, GHP infrastructure Mexicana and Systra. Including rolling stock and other railway equipment, the cost of the project is 50.8 billions of pesos.[2] However, a few days later, President Enrique Peña Nieto revoked the concession to this consortium, after evidence was found and broadcast, that corrupt acts led to having them selected as a winner (for example, the consortium giving a USD 7 million house, located in a highly exclusive zone in Mexico City, as a present to the president's wife).[3]

On January 30, 2015, the Mexican Secretary of Finance and Public Credit, Luis Videgaray Caso, announced federal budget cutbacks of 124 billion pesos (0.7% of GDP) in response to the impact on Mexican federal government revenues from the rapidly falling price of crude oil. One of the immediate consequences of these cutbacks is the "indefinite suspension" of work on the Mexico City–Querétaro High-Speed Railway.[4]

Other projects

There is also a proposal for a cross border high-speed railway from Monterrey, Mexico, to San Antonio, Texas, United States. It is intended to avoid stopping at the border by hosting immigration and customs clearance at each terminal station prior to the trains departure.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "Tendering starts for high speed line to Querétaro". Railway Gazette. 19 August 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
  2. ↑ Railway Gazette: Contract awarded for Mexico City – Querétaro high speed line
  3. ↑ "La casa blanca de Enrique Peña Nieto" (in Spanish). Aristegui Noticias. 9 November 2014. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
  4. ↑ "Destapan crisis en la hacienda pública" (in Spanish). La Jornada de Mexico. 30 January 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  5. ↑ "Proposed high-speed rail would link Texas and Mexico". WFAA 8 ABC. 15 January 2014. Archived from the original on August 21, 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014.

External links

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