Trains News Wire
Mexico launches Interoceanic Train service
By David Lassen | December 23, 2023
Route across Isthmus of Tehuantepec is envisioned as competition for Panama Canal
SALINA CRUZ, Mexico — For the second straight week, Mexico has inaugurated passenger service on a new rail line.
On Friday, operations began for the Interoceanic Railroad, a 188-mile route connecting Coatzacoalcos, on the Gulf of Mexico, with Salina Cruz, on the Pacific Coast. It is the key piece of the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, a $2.8 billion project that also includes expansion of the ports at the two endpoints, as well as creation of a series of industrial parks and upgraded highways.
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While the route will feature passenger service, its primary objective is to provide a freight alternative to shipping through the Panama Canal. Freight service will begin at a later date.
“All the Asian countries are very interested,” López Obador said Friday, according to a Reuters report, “because Panama is at capacity.”
