3 replies to this topic

[CNJRoss]

Associated Press, 11/8/23

 

Mexican president wants to force private freight rail companies to schedule passenger service

 

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s president announced Wednesday that he will require private rail companies that mostly carry freight to offer passenger service or else have the government schedule its own trains on their tracks.

 

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador denied any notion that his decree to be issued later this month amounted to expropriation of private property. He said existing law guarantees passenger trains priority.

 

“This is not an expropriation, it is in the Constitution and the law,” he said. ”According to the law, passenger trains have priority.”

 

 

Continue here.  

[CNJRoss]

Associated Press, 11/20/23

 

Mexico issues decree forcing private freight railway lines to give preference to passenger service

 

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s government issued a decree Monday that will force private freight railway lines to give preference to passenger train service over their normal freight runs.

 

The decree gives the two main private concessionary rail operators until Jan. 15 to present proposals for offering the passenger service themselves. If they decline, the government will put the army or the navy, which have no experience operating railways, in charge of the services.

 

 

Continue here.  

[lunarwhite]

Here is a critique of the decree by a Mexican English language newspaper.

https://themexicocit...ry-in-jeopardy/

AMLO, the Mexican President, will leave office December 1, 2024. He appears to be a bigger railfan than Biden or Pete Buttigieg. The next Mexican President will be elected next June. We will see if she follows through.

[CNJRoss]

International Railway Journal, 11/29/23

 

Mexican government seeks to revive passenger services on seven routes

 

MEXICO: On November 20 the national government published legislation to introduce passenger rail services on seven corridors totalling 8 000 km to serve as what it called ‘the backbone of the Sistema Ferroviario Mexicano’.

 

The presidential decree signed by Andrés Manuel López Obrador also says that the concessionaires currently operating freight traffic on the routes in question have priority in presenting the required passenger service proposals; these are to be submitted to the government by January 15 2024. The proposals are expected to include an investment plan for making the various lines fit to handle passenger services, as well as indicative timescales for the work. The government says that the concessionaires are as a minimum expected to ‘express their acceptance and interest to co-operate in the establishment of the passenger services’.

 

If a concession holder fails to meet the January deadline, the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications & Transport has the option to grant rights to operate passenger services to a third party.  . . .

 

 

Continue here.