December 25, 2023 - TRA Newswire -

Friday marked the start of service between Salina Cruz, Oaxaca on the west coast of Mexico and Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz on the gulf side for both passenger and freight rail service when Presidenr Lopez Obrador opened the line during a special event at the west coast port. 

This just a week after the Maya Train passenger service began running between Campeche and Cancun. 

President Lopez Obrador said that “Authorities, kings, politicians and rulers have been dreaming about connecting the two oceans for “centuries.”

The railroad links the two port cities through the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, an almost $3 billion government project that includes the railroad, highway upgrade, port improvements and ten industrial parks. 

The Mexican government is promoting the rail corridor as an alternative to the 80 mile long Panama Canal, which has seen drought conditions reducing the number of ships that can transit this year. 

President Lopez Obrador said that the opening of the rail line creates a brighter future for years to come, "it’s not just for our generation. We need to leave a future with possibilities of development for the new generations, we have to think of those coming behind us. This project is for them."

The Ministry of the Navy will manage the isthmus project, according to Lopez Obrador. He was aboard the first train enroute to the east coast, an eight hour run that is expected to be shorter than the inaugural trip. 

The map, supplied by the Mexican government, shows the Oaxaca to Veracruz line in blue along with two other railroad lines scheduled to open in 2024. The Maya train, which opened earlier this month for tourist passenger service, is shown in red. 

The president would like to see a revitalization of Mexico’s once extensive passenger train network. Last month, according to MexicoNewsDaily.com, he published a decree that established the provision of passenger train services as a priority for national development, taking a first step toward achieving his goal of restoring Mexico’s passenger train network to its former glory.

According to Adam Auxier, CEO of Railway Excursion Management Company (RAILEXCO), the group supplied the Mexican government with two F59 locomotives that were formerly used by GO Transit in Toronto, five ex-Connecticut DOT coaches, two ex-Amtrak coaches and a vintage Northern Pacific short dome car for the inaugural run. 

Tickets for the passenger service will be available on the Interoceanic Railroad website  and will be available in three classes of service. Tourist class will run about $27 (U.S.), $36 in Executive class and $91 in First Class. 

Photo credit: RAILEXCO