Tren Interoceánico

The Ferrocarril del Istmo de Tehuantepec is a government-owned railway system in Mexico that has three lines. It seeks to become a global logistics network focused on the manufacture and movement of goods between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean through the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.[2]

The project consists of the renovation of the railroad, which is expected to increase the speed of the freight train from 20 kph to 70 kph, more than three times the current one. Meanwhile, the passenger train will be able to reach speeds of up to 100 kph.[3]

History

The state-owned company Ferrocarril del Istmo de Tehuantepec was founded in 1999, to operate the railway that connects Salina Cruz with the locality of Medias Aguas, Veracruz.[4] Mayab and Chiapas lines were formerly leased to Ferrocarriles Chiapas-Mayab until Genesee & Wyoming gave up its concession in 2007.[5]

Features

As of December 2023, Line Z served seven stations in 303 km of single track, traveling between Coatzacoalcos and Salina Cruz for seven hours.[14] The old stations that were on the route and that were chosen to form the project, were completely remodeled, while retaining the original architectural style.[15]

Lines and routes

• Line FA: connects Coatzacoalcos with Palenque (transfer to Tren Maya), with a branch to Dos Bocas.
• Branch DB (freight only): Roberto Ayala – Olmeca Refinery Station of the Port of Dos Bocas in Paraíso.
• Line K: connects Ixtepec with, with a connection to the Guatemalan rail network.
• Branch KA: Tapachula – Port Chiapas.
• Line Z: connects with, as well as industrial parks.
• ZA Branch: Hibueras – Minatitlán Lázaro Cárdenas del Río Refinery.

Rolling stock

In August 2023, the website Railtech.com reported a number of InterCity 125 high-speed train sets, originally built for British Rail, had been seen at the Port of Great Yarmouth being loaded on to a ship bound for Mexico. Unconfirmed reports suggested this second-hand rolling stock was bound for the Ferrocarril del Istmo de Tehuantepec.[16]

On 4 September 2023, the news website Diario del Istmo posted a story containing a powerpoint slide from the Sistema Portuario Nacional, confirming that a group of three Class 43 locomotives and 11 Mark 3 coaches had been exported to Mexico for use on Ferrocarril del Istmo de Tehuantepec.[17] In Great Britain, the Class 43 locomotives were numbered GWR 43022, 43158, and 43170; while the coaches were numbered LNER 41091, 41100, 42026, 42179, 42401, 42402, 42405, 44034, 44061, 44063, 44094.[18]

In addition to these InterCity 125 trainsets, several other types of rolling stock will be used. The Ferrocarril Transístmico purchased three EMD SD70M locomotives from the Union Pacific Railroad, former UP 4378, 4671, and 4674.[19][20] and 12 passenger cars (including 3 Amfleet cars and the Stampede Pass, a dome car built by the Budd Company in 1954) from the Railway Excursion Management Company (Railexco).[21] The first of the SD70Ms, numbered 4378,[22] were presented on 13 August 2023.[19][20]Meanwhile, in September 2023, an EMD F59PH locomotive was seen in Mobile, Alabama, reportedly on its way to the Tren Interoceánico.[23] Later, an F59PH, now numbered FIT 3005 would, alongside an SD70M numbered FIT 4671,[24] be used on the inaugural run of Line Z on 22 December that year.[25] FIT 3005 was originally GO Transit 520, and during the late-2010s, this unit (then numbered LTEX 18520) was one of three ex-GO Transit F59PHs leased to Metrolink in the late-2010s. After Metrolink retired the ex-GO units in 2022, 18520 became one of two FIT F59PHs, with the other being the former LTEX 18522 (ex-GOT 522).[26]

Furthermore, five Budd SPV-2000 cars were purchased from Railexco for use on the Tren Interoceánico.[27][28] According to Railexco's official Facebook account, these cars were once owned by Amtrak, and later, by the Connecticut Department of Transportation.[29]

In addition to these, on 26 August 2023, the two Stadler Citylink sets from the former Puebla–Cholula Tourist Train were brought to Coatzacoalcos railway station for use on the Ferrocarril Transístmico.[30][31]

See also

• Tren Maya
• El Insurgente

External links

• Interoceanic Corridor