With the Mayan Train as a locomotive, the government of the 4T continues in its interest to return to operating passenger trains. Through the Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT) requested 29 million 919,861 pesos to carry out the pre-investment studies of the Campeche light rail, with an extension of 20.7 km, which is intended to be financed with resources from the National Infrastructure Fund (Fonadin).
With the resources, which will be administered by the Railway Transport Regulatory Agency (ARTF), a company will also be hired to provide specialized technical advice.
To develop the Campeche train, it is intended to use the existing railway infrastructure that corresponds to the FA and FL lines, which are currently in disuse (in some cases with invasions of the right of way) and are concessioned to Fonatur Tren Maya.
“One of the main problems that currently arise in the municipality of Campeche is the road congestion derived from the high number of vehicles, both private and public transport (in 2020 there was a registered vehicle fleet of 125,544 according to data from INEGI, with an average annual growth rate of 103.45%) that circulate in the area ”, argued the SICT to the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP) in the request for resources.
The pre-investment studies for the Campeche light rail are not included in the SICT’s 2022 budget, where those for the trains do appear: Derramadero-Ramos Arizpe suburban, in Coahuila, Colima-Manzanillo regional, Monterrey-Saltillo interurban, interurban Monterrey-Nuevo Laredo and light from Morelia.
In the list of train projects, the Villa García-Monterrey Airport suburban train also appears, which already has the required studies and the cost for its construction is 25,432.1 million pesos). However, you don’t have any tagged resources yet.
Technical advice of origin
Among the studies required for the Campeche train are: hydrological and drainage, geometric and topographic, environmental impact, legal (which includes the diagnosis of the existing infrastructure within the right of way and detection of areas with possible impact on the project), geotechnical of the main road and in railroad crossings, urban development and Territorial ordering and the strategic cost-benefit.
In addition, in the interest that the project is carried out complying with the required technical requirements, a company will be hired to provide specialized technical advice in railway operation, for which they will allocate six million 281,711 pesos.
“Due to the complexity required for the study and implementation of a railway project, especially for passengers, it is necessary to consider safety, quality of service, optimization (maximization of demand), coordination with other means of transport, adequate urban development, is It is essential to have the experience and capabilities of a figure of technical advisor with experience in planning, construction and railway operation to provide support from the moment of planning ”, detailed the SICT.
The consulting firm must, finally, evaluate the opportunities of the passenger rail service in the current corridor, considering the schedules and real costs for its implementation, maintenance and operation, determining the best solution to develop to improve urban and regional mobility.
The first agreement
On December 22, the governor of Campeche, Layda Sansores, signed a collaboration agreement with the director of ARTF, David Camacho, which seeks to promote the growth of the railway sector in the entity, which includes the passage of the Mayan train.
As part of the agreement, train personnel training will be promoted and pre-investment studies will be promoted for the new light rail that is being built on the tracks that are not used today.
alejandro.delarosa@eleconomista.mx