Railway Track Construction in Mexico

By @dM1nBlog
In other articles, we have already discussed topics such as the construction of the most important railway tracks in Mexico and the importance of their maintenance. But beyond knowing the key projects of the national railway industry, it’s interesting to understand everything that happens behind the scenes before they are executed.

To gain some context on railway track construction in the country, it’s essential to consider that the first attempt at granting a concession to establish railways in Mexican territory occurred in 1837, during the presidency of Anastasio Bustamante. Although it didn’t happen at the time, later successful plans were led by Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada and Porfirio Díaz. During their respective governments, European and American companies built large railway systems. By 1910, more than 20,000 kilometers of railway tracks were in daily operation, and it wasn’t until 1937 that Lázaro Cárdenas ordered their expropriation and nationalization.

Basic Requirements for Railway Track Construction

To begin railway track construction, several “first steps” must be taken into account: the creation of a continuous right-of-way and overcoming geographical obstacles are essential. A low-grade design is also needed to allow both vehicle circulation and pedestrian movement.

Another key component is the cross-section, which consists of elements such as the rail, supports between the rail and sleepers, ballast, and a sub-base. In simple terms, it’s the intersection of the platform with a vertical plane that is normal to the vertical surface containing the project’s axis.

Procedures for Private Railway Track Construction

These considerations vary depending on the territory where the railway project takes place. In Mexico, the specifications established in Articles 20, 23, 25, and 49 of the Railway Service Regulations, as well as Articles 31 and 34 of the Regulatory Law of Railway Service, must be followed.

To ensure the proper construction of railway tracks and operational safety, the following steps are required:

  1. Contact the private concessionaire, gather information on operational guidelines, and complete the corresponding questionnaire.
  2. Prepare a conceptual prefeasibility project, which consists of a design based on the guidelines.
  3. Develop the executive project and submit it to the Ministry of Communications and Transportation (SCT).
  4. Submit the project and wait for SCT approval to sign an agreement.
  5. Begin the construction of the railway tracks and then request a work inspection.
  6. Start operations!

Cost and Time Reduction

Carrying out a project within the railway industry is complex, beyond the very general approach explained here. At Track Speq, we can provide guidance if you need to begin a railway track construction project and are unfamiliar with the process. We invite you to contact us and join Mexico’s railway community!

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