Railway branch from the Suburban to AIFA would be ready this 2023

The railway branch that will connect the Buenavista station with the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) will be finished and ready to operate during the “second semester” of this year, said the director of Marketing and Risk Management of Suburban Railways, Max Noria.

From his perspective, the issue of resources to continue the work (in what corresponds to the train concessionaire implies 15,000 million pesos, 60% of the total cost) does not represent an obstacle to continue the work and in the following weeks he estimates to receive from Banobras a loan of 5,000 million pesos, which will be added to the 1,250 million pesos they already have.

The foregoing, despite the fact that the company that is part of Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF), the leading firm of the concessionaire group, expected to have a loan of 12.500 million pesos in the first quarter of last year.

At a press conference to present the results of his 2022 user satisfaction survey (among the conclusions it stands out that 100% of passengers would recommend its use) the manager recalled that the Ministry of Communications and Transport Infrastructure (SICT) has said that the progress in the construction of the entire 23 km branch (eight km and the terminal station at the airport were built by the Ministry of National Defense, Sedena) is 39 percent.

“There are already visible works. At the Buenavista station we are already building the track where the train will leave on the eastern side. Two bridges were built (one railway for cargo and another for the passenger train that will cross the great canal in Nextlalpan. We are laying the tracks on 10 fronts, the foundations at the Jaltocan station and we are already working on the executive projects of all specialties (ticketing, energy, catenary, signaling, communications)”, explained Noria.

To date, 2,000 jobs (direct and indirect) have been created and daytime hours are worked, although in spaces where it is possible, they also work at night.

Regarding the neighborhood protests in the municipality of Tultepec (where it has been suggested to raise the train), he explained: “We have a good relationship with the authorities, we meet regularly. The SICT continues to talk with them. They told us that they have reached agreements with the populations and that properties would be released shortly, as in the case of the Ferrovalle maneuvering yard, where people were unable to work.

The director of Suburban Railways also said that there is already a joint effort with the authorities to prepare a plan for passenger feeder routes to the new stations. ADHOC Consultores was even hired to take care of it. “A study of routes is developed by analyzing different points of view, development plans or mapping how the streets are now to have the best offer for travelers. The train will also work for the people of Coacalco, Tecámac, Zumpango or Tizayuca”, he added.

alejandro.delarosa@eleconomista.mx