From Palenque, Chiapas
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador warned that if there is no respectful treatment for Mexico he will not attend the North American Leaders Summit to be held in a few months. He said this after noting that the opposition has undertaken a campaign from abroad to attack his government. Therefore, he asked his U.S. and Canadian counterparts not to participate in the dirty war waged by his adversaries and to refrain from helping the power mafia, as it is immoral and we do not deserve to have our country’s prestige tarnished.
The constitutional reform proposed by President López Obrador for the State to recover the right to use the railroads that were privatized during the Ernesto Zedillo administration, seeks to:
-Promote and recover the operation of passenger trains by taking advantage of more than 18,000 kilometers of tracks.
-Constitutionally enshrine the preference for providing public passenger railroad transportation services.
-Offer an integral solution to urban mobility: reduced travel times, greater safety, improved quality of life, reduced carbon footprint, and fewer accidents.
According to the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation, Grupo México and Kansas City Southern have expressed their interest in offering passenger train service.
-The Ferromex subsidiary proposes the service for four routes: 1) Mexico City-Queretaro-Leon-Aguascalientes; 2) Manzanillo-Colima-Guadalajara-Irapuato; 3) Mexico City-Queretaro-Guadalajara-Tepic-Mazatlan-Nogales and 4) Aguascalientes-Chihuahua-Ciudad Juarez.
-Ferrosur seeks to provide transportation on two routes: 1) Mexico City-Veracruz-Coatzacoalcos and and 2) the Felipe Angeles International Airport (AIFA) – Pachuca Intercity Train.
-Kansas City Southern is interested in: 1) Mexico City-Queretaro and 2) Queretaro-San Luis Potosi-Monterrey-Nuevo Laredo.
The Mexico City-Toluca intercity train, “El Insurgente”, has transported almost two million passengers since September 15, when phase 1, which runs from Zinacantepec to Lerma, began operating. The second phase, from Lerma to the Metro Observatorio in Mexico City, will be completed in August 2024.
Between March and August, the Mexican government will put into operation more than 170 road, rail, and airport infrastructure work projects, equivalent to 1,634 kilometers, with an investment of more than 17 billion pesos (almost US$1 billion).
Starting February 29, the Great Museum of Chichen Itza will open its doors to the public to present the testimonies of those who built, gave meaning to, and bestowed greatness to this Mayan archaeological site. Chichen Itza receives 2.5 million visitors each year.
