Toluca–Mexico City commuter rail

The Toluca–Mexico City commuter rail (Spanish: Tren Interurbano de Pasajeros Toluca-Valle de México) project is a 57.7 km (35.9 mi) commuter rail line currently under construction. Also known as Interurban Train Mexico City–Toluca, the passenger railway line will connect the cities of Toluca and Mexico City. The project was announced by President Enrique Peña Nieto on 1 December 2012.[1] Construction began in July 2014.[2] By December 2018, it was estimated to open around 2022.[3]

Map of the commuter rail line under construction

Toluca–Mexico City commuter rail
Overview
TypeCommuter rail
StatusUnder construction
LocaleMexico City and State of Mexico
TerminiZinacantepec
Metro Observatorio
Stations6 (planned)
Operation
Planned opening2022
Technical
Line length57.7 km (35.9 mi)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
ElectrificationOverhead lines
Operating speed160 km/h (99 mph)
Route map

 Observatorio
Santa Fe
Lerma
Lerma River
 Tecnológico
Pino Suárez
 Zinacantepec
Shops

Background

As a part of Enrique Peña Nieto's Presidency to offer public transport from Toluca to Mexico City, a cost–benefit analysis report was drafted and published in November 2013.[4]:1 The report proposed several routes. The three routes were concentrated to the metro terminals of Cuatro Caminos, Tacubaya, and Observatorio.[4]:45 Ultimately, the third route along Avenida Las Torres to Observatorio was chosen in order to avert future sprawl, avoid deforestation in the Sierra de las Cruces, and prevent pollution of aquifers that supply water to residents.[4]:11 and 12 A section of the chosen route was altered by 4.3 km (2.7 mi) in October 2015 to no longer run above Avenida Vasco de Quiroga in Cuajimalpa.[5]

The railway line will be electrified and elevated with a tunnel portion between the State of Mexico and Mexico City.[4]:18[6] There are six stations planned. Four stations will be located in the State of Mexico and the remaining two will be located in Mexico City.[7] The line is designed to complement the Mexico City Metro by terminating at Observatorio station of Line 1 and provide heavy railway service to the Santa Fe business district.[4]:13[7][8] A shuttle will provide connection to Toluca International Airport at the Tecnológico station. The commuter line will run parallel to Avenida Las Torres and Mexican Federal Highway 15/Mexican Federal Highway 15D.[7] The total cost of the project was estimated at $38.6 billion MXN in 2014.[6]

Construction

The Secretariat of Communications and Transportation (SCT) divided the project into three sections for contractors to bid on:

Section 1 covers the western terminal in Zinacantepec to the eastern tunnel entrance at Sierra de las Cruces. This encompasses 36.1 km (22.4 mi) of the project. The contracts were awarded to La Peninsular Compañía Constructora and Constructora de Proyectos Viales de México.[9]
Section 2 is the 4.6 km (2.9 mi) tunnel portion underneath Sierra de las Cruces. Ingenieros Civiles y Asociados was awarded the contract.[10]
Section 3 involves the 17 km (11 mi) Mexico City portion from the western tunnel entrance at Sierra de las Cruces to the Metro Observatorio Station. The contract was awarded to a consortium.[11]

For its rolling stock, Spanish manufacturing company CAF was awarded a contract in 2014 to construct 30 EMUs for $11.6 billion MXN (€690 million).[12] Each EMU will have five cars, have a capacity of 700 passengers, and operate at a maximum speed of 160 km/h (99 mph).[13] Deliveries for the trainsets began in January 2017.[14]

The train depot will be located west of Zinacantepec station at a cost of MXN942 million. The contract was awarded to a consortium in March 2016.[15]

In July 2014, a formal ceremony was carried out by the head of SCT, Gerardo Ruiz Esparza, to mark the start of construction.[2]

There have been several construction accidents during the project. On 4 May 2016, the temporary support structures gave way, causing the concrete decking to collapse near the intersection of Avenida Las Torres and Avenida Colón in Toluca.[16] On 2 June 2016, bad weather caused concrete-reinforced rebar to fold onto traffic near the intersection of Avenida Las Torres and Avenida Díaz Mirón in Toluca.[17] On 7 July 2016, a work site caved in killing one worker and injuring two.[18] On 16 July 2016, a construction worker was killed when a truck lost control and struck the worker on a construction site in Metepec.[19]

In July 2019, the SCT determined the project's completion would be delayed to the end of 2022. Javier Jiménez Espriú, head of the SCT, announced the project was 87% complete, however, there have been cost overruns from $42.72 billion MXN in 2015 to $73.72 billion MXN in 2019.[20]

See also
  • Suburban Railway of the Valley of Mexico Metropolitan Area

References
  1. Olmos, José Gil (1 December 2012). "Peña y sus 13 promesas: Combate a la pobreza, paz, trenes, cadenas de televisión…" (in Spanish). Proceso. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  2. Noriega, Sergio (8 July 2014). "Gerardo Ruiz Esparza arranca obras del tren México-Toluca" (in Spanish). Sexenio. Archived from the original on 8 March 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  3. "Tren México-Toluca iniciará operaciones en su totalidad en el 2022: SCT". El Economista. 15 July 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  4. "Análisis Costo Beneficio "Proyecto Construir El Tren Interurbano México-Toluca 1era Etapa"" (PDF) (in Spanish). Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes. November 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  5. "Tren México-Toluca cambia de ruta para rodear Santa Fe". Forbes (in Spanish). 14 October 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  6. De La Rosa, Alejandro (6 July 2014). "Arrancan obras del tren de pasajeros México-Toluca" (in Spanish). El Economista. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  7. "Recorrido de la Obra" (in Spanish). Gobierno de la Ciudad de México. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  8. "Información" (in Spanish). Gobierno de la Ciudad de México. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  9. De La Rosa, Alejandro (22 June 2014). "Hermes y OHL, primeros pasajeros de tren a Toluca". El Economista (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  10. "ICA gana el túnel para tren a Toluca". La Razón (in Spanish). 25 July 2014. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  11. Montes, Rafael (11 December 2014). "GDF anuncia ganador de licitación para Tren Interurbano" (in Spanish). El Financiero. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  12. "Mexico-Toluca Intercity Railroad Project Award". Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles. 25 November 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  13. "Commuter Train Toluca". Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles. 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  14. "First Toluca line train arrives in Mexico". Metro Report International. 20 January 2017. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  15. Vásquez, Azucena (4 March 2016). "Gana Rubau obras de tren México-Toluca" (in Spanish). Reforma. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  16. "Colapsan trabes del Tren México-Toluca" (in Spanish). El Financiero. 4 May 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  17. "Se doblan varillas del Tren Interurbano México-Toluca". Excélsior (in Spanish). 2 June 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  18. López, Juan Carlos Alarcón (7 July 2016). "Desgajamiento en obra del Tren Interurbano México-Toluca deja un muerto y dos lesionados" (in Spanish). MVS Noticias. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  19. "Muere trabajador en nuevo accidente en obras del Tren Interurbano México-Toluca" (in Spanish). MVT. 16 July 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  20. Rosa, Alejandro de la. "Tren México-Toluca funcionaría a finales del 2022". El Economista. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
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