Sheinbaum Inaugurates Train Connecting Mexico City with State of Mexico and Hidalgo
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
Mexico City — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum inaugurated the 'Felipe Ángeles' train this Sunday, which will connect the capital with the State of Mexico and Hidalgo in central Mexico. The train aims to improve access from Mexico City to the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA), reduce transportation costs for peripheral municipalities in the State of Mexico, and revive Buenavista in Mexico City as a national railway hub. “This train, which connects Mexico City to the State of Mexico and Hidalgo, will be named, starting today, the Felipe Ángeles train,” Sheinbaum stated during the opening ceremony of the project, which is part of her policy to revive passenger rail services. The route spans 41.6 kilometers between Buenavista and AIFA. In its initial phase, the journey will take approximately 60 minutes, though authorities expect to reduce it to 43 minutes as operations stabilize. The service will begin with four trains in circulation, one in reserve, and one in maintenance, with ten trains ready to be progressively added. Each train can accommodate 719 passengers, with an initial frequency of 30 minutes and a goal to reduce it to 12 minutes. During the first month, the trip between Buenavista and AIFA will have a promotional fare of 45 pesos (about $2.50), while trips to intermediate stations will cost 11.5 pesos (around $0.64). Final fares will be announced after this period. The project also aims to address daily mobility needs for municipalities in the State of Mexico, not just air passengers, as it connects with the Buenavista-Cuautitlán Suburban Train, Metro Line B, three Metrobús lines, Ecobici, Mexibús, and local public transportation in the country's most populous state. Sheinbaum defended the project as part of a socially-focused infrastructure vision. “We guarantee the right to food, the right to education, the right to health, and also the right to mobility,” she said. She added that the railway revival represents “the possibility for Mexicans to travel across the country at affordable prices and with the best possible transportation.” In addition to connecting with AIFA, Buenavista is set to become the starting point for new railway routes to Pachuca, Querétaro, Monterrey, Nuevo Laredo, Guadalajara, and Celaya, according to Andrés Lajous, Director General of the Mexican Government's Agency for Integrated Public Transportation and Trains. The project includes six new stations equipped with elevators, tactile guides, luggage spaces, video surveillance, speakers, and universal accessibility in both stations and trains. “Today we tell the people of Mexico: we govern for the people. Mission accomplished, people of Mexico,” Sheinbaum concluded before cutting the ribbon.