MEXICO: The national government inaugurated the rail link to Mexico City’s Aeropuerto Internacional Felipe Ángeles on April 26, extending the Tren Suburbano from Buenavista as part of a broader strategy to re-establish federally led passenger rail development. Michael Dreyer reports.
Officially branded as the Tren Felipe Ángeles, the airport link comprises a 23·7 km double-track branch from Lechería, forming part of a 41 km corridor including six new stations and an underground terminal integrated with the airport.
Electrified at 25 kV 60 Hz, the line is designed for high-frequency suburban operations, with 15 min headways and operating hours aligned with flight schedules.
Initial end-to-end journey times are around 60 min, with a target of 43 min once operations stabilise.
Operations and capacity
Services are operated using eight CAF EMUs interoperable with the existing Buenavista – Cuautitlán suburban route which shares the corridor between the city centre and Lechería. The trains are part of the same batch of EMUs delivered for the Tren Interurbano service linking México with Toluca, which was inaugurated in February.
Ridership on the AIFA route is forecast to reach approximately 80 000 passengers/day, with a mix of airport users and suburban commuters. The fare has been set at 45 pesos for the full journey, positioning the service as a competitive alternative to road transport. Airport journeys can be made using the Movilidad Integrada integrated fare collection and ticketing system that is widely accepted across public transport in Mexico City.
Delivery and financing
The project reflects a structural shift towards full public-sector control. Just days before the opening of the airport line, the federal government announced that it had acquired the suburban rail concession of the Buenavista – Cuautitlán line for approximately 6bn pesos, transferring ownership from the main concessionaire CAF and Omnitren to the national infrastructure fund Fondo Nacional de Infraestructura, administered by Banco Nacional de Obras y Servicios Públicos (Banobras). Fonadin had already held 49% of the concession prior to the transaction, and, following the acquisition of CAF’s stake, now assumes full ownership of the network.
Banobras received the formal assignment title for operation in March and is responsible for procurement, operations and asset management. In addition to the AIFA corridor, Banobras and Fonadin also operate the Tren Interurbano Insurgente between México City and Toluca, underlining the emergence of a centralised, government-led operating model for passenger rail in Mexico.
The project forms part of a public mobility policy framework, emphasising affordability, state ownership and social accessibility. Construction generated around 20 000 jobs and required extensive systems installation, including electrification and utility relocation. The line addresses one of the principal constraints on the AIFA airport’s development — limited accessibility — while supporting urban expansion and logistics activity in the northern metropolitan area. It also represents an initial phase of a wider revival of passenger rail corridors under federal leadership.
At Buenavista station in the centre of the city, three new tracks have been laid for the airport service. In the coming years, the hub will also act as a terminus for passenger services to and from Pachuca, Querétaro and Guadalajara passenger services will have their terminus here.
Extension to Pachuca
The AIFA branch forms part of a planned extension of the Tren Suburbano to Pachuca, which would create a regional interurban railway.
The México – Pachuca route is currently reported to be 22% complete, with commissioning targeted for the first half of 2027. The project includes 141 km of railway works, combining new double-track electrified infrastructure with the upgrading and partial realignment of existing freight lines.
It has been reported that the first carbody and bogie for the EMU fleet ordered to operate to Pachuca has now been completed at CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive. While the first two trains will be assembled in China, the remaining 13 will be assembled in Mexico in a new plant which CRRC has developed in Ciudad Sahagún.
Civil engineering works comprise 26 road overpasses and 53 drainage culverts, aimed at maintaining local connectivity and mitigating impacts on surrounding communities. Acquisition of the alignment has reached more than 57%, following agreements with landowners in settlements along the route including Tizayuca and Huitzila.
The section between AIFA and Pachuca will total approximately 58 km, with projected journey times of 40 min.