Line A (Ferromex)

Line A
A Union Pacific ET44AC No. 2688 leads an intermodal train on the Ferromex Guadalajara–Torreón route at León, Guanajuato.
Overview
Native nameLínea A
OwnerFederal government of Mexico
LocaleMexican Plateau
Termini
Stations63 (defunct)
Service
TypeFreight rail
SystemFerromex
Operators
History
Work began1880; 146 years ago (1880)
OpenedMarch 1884; 142 years ago (1884-03)
Technical
Line length1,224.16 mi (1,970.09 km)
Number of tracks1–2
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
ElectrificationQuerétaro–Mexico City:
25 kV 60 Hz AC overhead line (1994–96)

The Line A (Spanish: Línea A) is a 1,224.16-mile (1,970.09 km) railway line located in the Mexican Plateau. It connects between Ciudad Juarez in Chihuahua (which close to the Mexico–United States border) and Mexico City. At its northern terminus in Ciudad Juarez, the line directly intercharges with the Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway, where a bridge over the Rio Grande connects to El Paso in Texas. At its southern terminus in Mexico City, the line directly interchanges with Ferrovalle. The line is owned by the Federal government of Mexico and it's operated by Ferromex.

Usage

The line is primarily used by freight trains, including those of Ferromex, CPKC (on the Querétaro–Mexico City section and have also trackage rights between Querétaro and León, Guanajuato), the Línea Coahuila Durango (who has trackage rights between Torreón and Escalón), and Ferrovalle (on the Huehuetoca–Mexico City section)

History

1903 map of the Mexican Central Railway

The line was constructed in 1880 as part of the Mexican Central Railway's main line. The first section between Mexico City and León, Guanajuato was opened in 1882. On August 2, 1882, the line was extended to El Paso and became the first railway line to cross the United States border. Construction of the line was completed, and it officially opened to traffic in March 1884. On February 29, 1908, the line became part of Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México, following the acquisition of Mexican Central Railway.

From 1979 to 1994, the Querétaro–Mexico City section was upgraded into electrified double track railway. The electric train services was inaugurated on February 14, 1994. However, due to privatization of the Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México, the electric service was discontinued in 1996, where gradual closure of the passenger rail operations throughout the country.

As President Ernesto Zedillo privatized the Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México in 1995, Grupo Ferroviario Mexicano, a consortium composed of Grupo México (74%) and Union Pacific Railroad (26%), was awarded the concession of the line with a bid of 3.1527 million pesos in July 1997. The line subsequently became part of Ferromex.

From 2022, the line became one of the routes known as "La Bestia", with thousands of migrants were attempting to ride the trains and putting their own lives at risk to make across the border into the United States. As the string of accidents, Ferromex suspended 60 freight trains in northern routes on September 19, 2023, to protect the safety of migrants.

In September 2025, the railway in Celaya was realigned through the Ferroférico project to avoid passing through the city's urban area. It was formerly known as the diamond crossing with CPKC Line NB. The former right-of-way will be occupied by Querétaro–Irapuato passenger train [es] using elevated tracks.

Projects

Querétaro–Irapuato passenger train project

The project is implemented by ATTRAPI [es] to rehabilitate and upgrade the signalling system, electrification and double-track railway. The construction began on July 9, 2025, which entails the rehabilitation of 30 km (19 mi) railway between Querétaro and Irapuato. The project is expected to finish in 2027.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Bembenek, Travis (July 13, 2024). "Our CEO interviews CPKC de México president, Oscar Del Cueto Cuevas". Mexico News Daily. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
  2. ↑ Goodsell, Charles M.; Wallace, Henry E (1908). The Manual of Statistics: Stock Exchange Hand-Book. New York: Manual of Statistics Company. pp. 192–194.
  3. ↑ "Mexico orders railroads to prioritize passenger train services over freight operations - two lines to reach Texas border cities". Texas Rail Advocates. November 26, 2023. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
  4. ↑ "UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, DC 20549". SEC.gov. December 31, 2005. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Mexico: Government fosters rail revival". Railway Gazette International. August 3, 2023. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
  6. ↑ "LINEA COAHUILA DURANGO, S.A. DE C.V" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on July 2, 2018. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
  7. 1 2 Schmal, John. "The Railroad as a Catalyst for Mexican Immigration (1877-1927)". Indigenous Mexico. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Ferrocarriles Nacionales De Mexico - Mexican 6% Gold Bond". George H. LaBarre Galleries, Inc. 1914. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Mexico. Map of the Mexican Central Railway and Connections". Geographicus Rare Antique Maps. 1908. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
  10. ↑ Bulletin of the Pan American Union. Washington, D.C. : The Union. 1910. p. 812. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
  11. ↑ Delgado, Javier; Blanca Rebeca Ramírez Velázquez (1998). Ciudad-región y transporte en el México Central: Un largo camino de rupturas y continuidades (Colección Ciudad y Región) (in Spanish). México: Plaza y Valdés Editores, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. pp. 142–143. ISBN 968-856-563-6.
  12. ↑ Sánchez, David Galicia (April 28, 2025). "Así eran las locomotoras eléctricas del tren México-Querétaro en 1994" [This is what the electric locomotives of the Mexico-Queretaro train looked like in 1994]. El Heraldo de México (in Spanish). Event occurs at 7:54 PM. Retrieved July 3, 2026.
  13. ↑ Andalón L., Mabel A.; Lopez-Calva, Luis F. (January 2003). "What happens to workers when governments divest? Labor in the privatization of Mexican railroads". ResearchGate: 36. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
  14. ↑ Hernández, Byron (September 20, 2023). "Ferromex: ¿cuáles son las rutas de tren más utilizadas por los migrantes?" [Ferromex: Which train routes are most used by migrants?]. El Sol de Mexico (in Spanish). Retrieved June 29, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Ferromex suspends operations of 60 freight trains in Mexico". Mexico News Daily. September 20, 2023. Retrieved June 29, 2026.
  16. ↑ Figueroa, Francisco Mancera (February 12, 2026). "Asegura Municipio de Celaya que Libramiento Ferroviario lleva avance del 80 % y quedaría listo este año" [The Municipality of Celaya assures that the Railway Bypass is 80% complete and will be finished this year]. AM (in Spanish). Retrieved June 30, 2026.
  17. ↑ García, Luis (June 21, 2026). "Retiran vías de Ferromex y liberan ocho cruceros de Celaya" [Ferromex tracks removed and eight intersections in Celaya reopened]. El Sol del Bajío (in Spanish). Retrieved July 15, 2026.
  18. ↑ Urrutia, Alonso; Muñoz, Alma E. (September 18, 2025). "Dan banderazo de salida a obras del tramo ferroviario Querétaro-Irapuato" [Construction begins on the Querétaro-Irapuato railway section]. La Jornada (in Spanish). Event occurs at 08:11. Retrieved July 16, 2026.
  19. ↑ Mayagoitia, Cutberto Jiménez (April 2, 2025). "Tren Querétaro-Irapuato: Aquí las paradas y el tiempo de recorrido en Guanajuato" [Querétaro-Irapuato train: Here are the stops and travel time in Guanajuato]. AM (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved July 16, 2026.