The construction of the Querétaro-Irapuato train will cost 98 billion pesos, according to the investment program of the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications, and Transportation (SICT).
The project, which is expected to begin next July, will be 107.5 km long and will include two terminals and intermediate stations located in the municipalities of Celaya, Villagrán, and Salamanca.
Train would pass through León and Silao
The train route is expected to extend to the cities of Silao and León in Guanajuato,” the federal agency announced through the Railway Transport Regulatory Agency (ARTF), an agency that is in the process of acquiring the remaining properties to complete the Right of Way Clearance, which requires the funds allocated for the investment project.
“Its layout includes a non-electrified double track and is comprised of seven segments, covering a total length of 107.5 km, where the construction of nine viaducts is required. In addition to its origin in Querétaro, the project considers stations in Celaya and Irapuato, as well as the potential integration of two other smaller stations, like bus stops, in Salamanca and Villagrán,” the project states.
For the federal government, over the last twenty years, the Bajío region has been characterized by economic dynamism, attracting significant investment in the manufacturing and service sectors. This situation has been accompanied by an increase in urban density, travel generation, and overall growth.
Why would leaving León out of the passenger train be unviable?
The passenger train in Guanajuato would be “unviable” if León were left out, as it is the municipality with the greatest potential for generating ridership, stated Governor Libia Dennise García Muñoz Ledo.
Although the Querétaro-Irapuato passenger train project will have five stations in the state, in the municipalities of Celaya, Villagrán, Cortazar, Salamanca, and Irapuato, the The State Government maintains its request to include the shoe-making city.
However, the Federation had not provided any response as of last April regarding the proposals made to include a branch line through the state’s most populous municipality.
We have already presented a technical explanation of why we believe that excluding León could be unfeasible, including the passenger train project. They are currently being analyzed. They have not given us a positive decision, but they have not denied us the possibility either,” the governor said on April 29.
ource: am
