MEXICO’s federal rail and integrated transport agency Attrapi has awarded a contract worth Pesos 13.3m ($US 769,295) to URS Corporation México, which will assess the feasibility of reintroducing long-distance passenger services on the main line from Mexico City to Puebla and Veracruz.
The Aecom subsidiary will conduct technical, operational and infrastructure assessments along the 445km line, including evaluation of track geometry, bridge structures, and level crossings. The study will examine the feasibility of operating new passenger services on one of Mexico’s most heavily-used freight corridors, connecting the federal capital with the industrial centre of Puebla and Veracruz, a key export gateway on the Gulf of Mexico.
The study will seek to determine if the infrastructure used by private freight concessionaires Ferrosur and CPKC de México can be adapted to accommodate passenger services without reducing freight capacity. According to tender documentation, this will include evaluating whether existing infrastructure can support passenger operations under safe and efficient conditions.
The study forms part of the national strategy to restore long-distance passenger services which has seen the administration of president, Claudia Sheinbaum, award contracts to build new infrastructure alongside freight lines.
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