The return of the Puebla-Cholula Tourist Train, with its extension to the municipalities of Atlixco and Izúcar de Matamoros, is one of the key projects proposed in the 2024-2030 State Development Plan, which was released a month after its approval by the COPLADEP (National Development Commission).
On April 11, Governor Alejandro Armenta presented this document to the Puebla State Development Planning Committee (COPLADEP), but it wasn’t published until yesterday afternoon in the Official State Gazette (POE), specifically in Volume: DCI Number: 5 Section: First.
This proposal is listed as Transformational Project 23, under the Infrastructure heading, and includes an accompanying text that outlines the project’s purpose.
“To increase tourism activity in the state by creating conditions for the movement of people and products between representative locations, promoting the economic development of the regions,” the document states.
However, details are still unknown regarding the right-of-way that will be used, primarily from Cholula to Izúcar de Matamoros, as well as whether a double track will be built, unlike the original project.
In this way, the government of Alejandro Armenta plans to revive one of the most controversial projects of the administration of the late President Rafael Moreno Valle Rosas, during which this train-tram system was built, connecting the Historic Center of Puebla with San Andrés and San Pedro Cholula.
With an investment of 1.574 billion pesos, this system was inaugurated on January 26, 2017, by the then-PAN governor, along with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, using the existing railway right-of-way over a length of 17.2 kilometers.
However, five years later, the late Governor Miguel Barbosa Huerta ordered its closure after five years of operation, making its final trip on December 31, 2022, between the Puebla terminal, next to the Mercado de Sabores, and the Cholula terminal, next to the Pyramid.
“We are going to present the full reality of what it meant to maintain this tourist train. It is disastrous. Each person who boards costs the state 1,500 pesos,” explained the then-governor, contrasting the high operating cost of the service with its low passenger load.
In this regard, an analysis presented in 2023 by the Director of Toll Roads, Andrés Villaseñor Herrero, indicates that the annual operating cost of the service was 68.85 million pesos, while only 106,000 users boarded the train, generating revenue of just 986,771 pesos.
Currently, the rolling stock purchased for this project is in service on the Interoceanic Train, which runs from Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, to Salinas Cruz, Oaxaca, after being sold by the Céspedes Peregrina administration.
Other Key Projects
The 2024-2030 State Development Plan includes other high-impact projects in education, social services, and infrastructure, although it does not specify amounts or timelines for their individual implementation.
In terms of infrastructure, the construction of the “Hermanos Serdán” Interchange stands out. Although its location is not specified, it could be the one planned by the Sergio Salomón Céspedes administration at the intersection of said boulevard and Francisco Villa Avenue.
Similarly, the document establishes that the state government will undertake the modernization and rehabilitation of the Mexico-Puebla-Veracruz Train stations, although it does not specify whether this will be a joint effort with the federal government for the passenger train project.
Other notable infrastructure projects include the Bicycle Path Mobility Network, which includes connecting existing infrastructure primarily in the city of Puebla, the Malintzi Ecopark, and the La Panga Bridge.
Furthermore, among the already known projects being taken up by the PED, in the area of education, are the consolidation of the University of Sports, the University of Technology and Sustainability, and the University of Police Sciences and Security of the State of Puebla (UCIPS).
In terms of social assistance, mention is made of the State Community Work Program for Love of Puebla, the Maternity Homes for Love of Puebla, the Puebla Comprehensive Mental Health Center for Girls, Boys, and Adolescents, and the Women’s Bank.
In terms of economy and tourism, there is the creation of the Puebla 5 de Mayo Brand, the Center for Innovation and Transformation of Agricultural and Aquaculture Products (CITRAA), and the Strategic Centers for Security and Tourist Assistance (CESAT).
Source: e-consulta
