The Ferrocarril del Istmo de Tehuantepec (''Ferrocarril del Istmo de Tehuantepec, S.A. de C.V.''; English: Railway of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec), also known as Tren Interoceánico (), Line Z (), Ferrocarril Transístmico () or simply Ferroistmo (), is part of the

Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec The Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (), abbreviated as CIIT, is a trade and transit route in Southern Mexico, under the control of the Mexican Secretariat of the Navy, which connects the Pacific Ocean, Pacific and Atlantic Ocea ...

, owned by the Mexican government, that crosses the

Isthmus of Tehuantepec The Isthmus of Tehuantepec () is an isthmus in Mexico. It represents the shortest distance between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean. Before the opening of the Panama Canal, it was a major overland transport route known simply as the T ...

between Puerto Mexico,

Veracruz Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entit ...

, and

Salina Cruz Salina Cruz is a major seaport on the Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast of the List of states of Mexico, Mexican state of Oaxaca. It is the state's fourth-largest city and is the municipal seat of the Municipalities of Oaxaca, municipality of the sa ...

Oaxaca Oaxaca, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca, is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of the Mexico, United Mexican States. It is divided into municipalities of Oaxaca, 570 munici ...

. It is leased to Ferrocarril del Sureste FERROSUR. The Mayab and Chiapas lines, now part of the FIT were formerly leased to Ferrocarriles Chiapas-Mayab until

Genesee & Wyoming Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (G&W) is an American short line railroad holding company, that owns or maintains an interest in 122 railroads in the United States, Canada, Belgium, Netherlands, Poland, and the United Kingdom; and formerly in Australia. ...

gave up its concession in 2007. Originally it was known as the Tehuantepec Railway and Gennesse and Wyoming had track rights over the FIT from Salina Cruz to medias Aguas and over Ferrosur from Medias Aguas to El Chapo, just south of Coatzacoalcos, under its concession.

History

The potential of the route from the Atlantic to the Pacific across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec has long been appreciated. As early as 1814 the Spanish government authorized a canal across the Isthmus. Soon after Mexico became independent in

1821 Events January–March * January 21 – Peter I Island in the Antarctic is first sighted, by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen. * January 26 – Congress of Laibach convenes to deal with outstanding international issues, particularly ...

, surveys were carried out which recommended constructing a plank trail for wagons through the Chivela Pass, with the northernmost part of the route using the

Coatzacoalcos River The Coatzacoalcos is a large river that feeds mainly the south part of the state of Veracruz; it originates in the Sierra de Niltepec and crosses the state of Oaxaca in the region of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, flowing for toward the Gulf of M ...

which flows northward to the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...

on the Atlantic side of the isthmus. The river would be dredged to allow navigation. Nothing came of either of these plans. The Isthmus of Tehuantepec Williams 1852 Masahua Pass

The Isthmus of Tehuantepec Williams 1852 Masahua Pass

More serious planning began in the early 1840s, when José de Garay, the First Officer of the Ministry of War obtained a concession on the route and carried out a more thorough survey. After many failed attempts to obtain funding, the concession was taken over by a New Orleans company, The Tehuantepec Railroad Company of New Orleans (TRCNO). Despite diplomatic problems over the status of the concession, a further survey of the route was carried out by Major John G. Barnard. This was published in 1852. The years between 1852 and 1861 were turbulent both diplomatically and financially. The opening of the

Panama Railroad The Panama Canal Railway (PCR, ) is a railway line linking the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean in Central America. The route stretches across the Isthmus of Panama from Colón, Panama, Colón (Atlantic) to Balboa, Panama, Balboa (Pacific, ...

in 1854 provided competition for the Tehuantepec route, but also gave warning that the TRNCO's cost estimates were wildly optimistic. The

Panic of 1857 The Panic of 1857 was a financial crisis in the United States caused by the declining international economy and over-expansion of the domestic economy. Because of the invention of the telegraph Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission ...

made raising capital for transportation projects more difficult. There were disputes over the concession with the Mexican Government. In spite of this, the company managed to construct a wagon trail (not a railroad) along the route, and offer a service for passengers and mail from New Orleans to San Francisco, starting in 1858. It was too little too late, however, and the company became insolvent in 1860. The outbreak of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

and the French intervention in Mexico the following year ended any immediate hope of reviving the project. After the Civil War ended, there was once again interest in trans-isthmus routes, in particular for a canal. A commission was appointed by the US Government in 1872. A new survey of the Tehuantepec route had been carried out by Admiral R. W. Shufeldt in 1870, but in spite of his positive report the commission recommended a route through Nicaragua in 1876. No government action resulted, however, and actual canal construction was started in

Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...

in 1881 by a French company headed by

Ferdinand de Lesseps Ferdinand Marie, Comte de Lesseps (; 19 November 1805 – 7 December 1894) was a French Orientalist diplomat and owner of Main Idea of the Suez Canal, which in 1869 joined the Mediterranean and Red Seas, substantially reducing sailing distan ...

. A radically different solution was proposed by James B. Eads - a ship-railway. Rather than a canal, he proposed a 6-track railway across the isthmus, with ships of up to 6,000 tons carried in a specially designed cradle. Eads' ideas received considerable support in the USA, but he died in 1887, and this was effectively the end of the proposal. Another railroad from ocean to ocean greets the new year LOC 3909889040

Another railroad from ocean to ocean greets the new year LOC 3909889040

Railroad construction actually continued during this period, and the line was completed in 1894. It had many problems, including inadequate port facilities at each end, and varying standards of construction along the route. It soon became clear that a complete overhaul was necessary, and Weetman D. Pearson was contracted by the Mexican Government to undertake the work. The line was stabilized, and where necessary structures were rebuilt. Port facilities were established at

Coatzacoalcos Coatzacoalcos (; formerly known as Puerto México; ; Zapotec: ; Popoluca: ''Puertu'') is a major port city in the southern part of the Mexican state of Veracruz, mostly on the western side of the Coatzacoalcos River estuary, on the Bay of Ca ...

and

. The newly refurbished line opened in 1907. The locomotives on the line were oil-burning steam locomotives. The Tehuantepec Railroad was one of the first to use this source of power. SS Texan NH 65045-A

The

American-Hawaiian Steamship Company The American-Hawaiian Steamship Company was founded in 1899 to carry cargoes of sugar from Hawaii to the United States and manufactured goods back to Hawaii. Brothers-in-law George Dearborn and Lewis Henry Lapham were the key players in the found ...

, which had been operating from

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

and

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

through the

Straits of Magellan The Strait of Magellan (), also called the Straits of Magellan, is a navigable sea route in southern Chile separating mainland South America to the north and the Tierra del Fuego archipelago to the south. Considered the most important natural ...

contracted to provide connecting steamship lines to both ends of the railroad, allowing a 25 day service between San Francisco and New York. Sugar became a major part of the freight, amounting to 250,000 tons annually, and most of the sugar from Hawaii to Philadelphia and New York was carried on this route. The railroad prospered for seven years, until the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal () is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. It cuts across the narrowest point of the Isthmus of Panama, and is a Channel (geography), conduit for maritime trade between th ...

opened in 1914. Despite optimistic forecasts that there was plenty of business for both the railroad and the canal, business declined drastically after 1914, not helped by the

Mexican Revolution The Mexican Revolution () was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from 20 November 1910 to 1 December 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It saw the destruction of the Federal Army, its ...

and the onset of the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. The railroad continued to handle substantial passenger traffic well into the fifties, but ceased to be a significant carrier of freight.

Redevelopment

On 7 June 2020,

President of Mexico The president of Mexico (), officially the president of the United Mexican States (), is the head of state and head of government of Mexico. Under the Constitution of Mexico, the president heads the executive branch of the federal government and ...

Andrés Manuel López Obrador Andrés Manuel López Obrador (; born 13 November 1953), also known by his initials AMLO, is a Mexican former politician, political scientist, public administrator and writer who served as the 65th president of Mexico from 2018 to 2024. He se ...

announced the beginning of the rehabilitation of the line. It will cost 3 billion pesos to begin the project, but in total, the project will cost 20 billion pesos. The project for the rehabilitation of the line will result in the speed of freight trains increasing from to , more than three times the current speed. Furthermore, this project will also lead to the introduction of a passenger train, which will be able to reach speeds of up to . It will also enable links to existing freight lines, including the Coatzacoalcos–Palenque and

Chiapas Chiapas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Chiapas, is one of the states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 federal entities of Mexico. It comprises Municipalities of Chiapas, 124 municipalities and its capital and large ...

lines, as well as another railway line, the Ixtepec–Ciudad Hidalgo Line, that extends from the

(CIIT, by its initials in Spanish) to the city of

Tapachula Tapachula de Córdova y Ordóñez, simply known as Tapachula, is a city and municipality located in the far southeast of the state of Chiapas, Mexico, near the Guatemalan border and the Pacific Ocean. Economically, it is one of the most importan ...

, in Chiapas. The work includes the application of

aluminum Aluminium (or aluminum in North American English) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Al and atomic number 13. It has a density lower than that of other common metals, about one-third that of steel. Aluminium has ...

- thermal welding on rails, application of paint on bridges and structures, dismantling, weeding, and cleaning of ditches. This will be done through the work of crews of personnel for the railroad, and through the hiring of private companies. The Medias Aguas-

section of the passenger railway performed its first tests in September 2023, including an official trip by the President and his staff, and the director of the CIIT,

vice admiral Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of Vice ...

Raymundo Morales Ángeles, stated that it will begin passenger operation in December, though cargo operations did officially begin in September. This opening includes 227 rehabilitated kilometers of roads (out of 308 total kilometers between Coatzacoalcos and Salina Cruz), 82 bridges and 290 drainage works. The modernization of this section, known as Line Z (), includes complementary works such as nine passenger stations, seven slopes, two supply stations, seven workshops, four yards, a single control and dispatch center, and two depots. On December 22, 2023, the passenger train service on Line Z from Coatzacoalcos to Salina Cruz was inaugurated. Raymundo Morales Ángeles reported that the historic stations in

, Ixtepec, Mogoñé, and Medias Aguas, as well as the new stations in Chivela and

Donají Oaxaca de Juárez (), or simply Oaxaca (Valley Zapotec: ''Ndua''), is the capital and largest city of the eponymous Mexican state of Oaxaca. It is the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of Oaxaca, the most populous municipality in Oa ...

, were opened. However, in June 2024, the second stage of Line Z will open. Matías Romero railway station will reopen then, while 9 new stations will also open:

, Jáltipan, Jesús Carranza, Ubero, Sarabia, Lagunas, Nizanda, Comitancillo and Tehuantepec.

Rolling stock

On 13 August 2023, ex-

Union Pacific The Union Pacific Railroad is a Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pacific is the second largest railroad in the United States after BNSF, ...

SD70M locomotives were presented that would be used for the train. These locomotives would later be joined by ex-

GO Transit GO Transit is a regional public transit system serving the Greater Golden Horseshoe region of Ontario, Canada. With its hub at Union Station in Toronto, GO Transit's green-and-white trains and buses serve a population of more than seven mil ...

GMD F59PH locomotives from RAILEXCO. The ''Tren Interoceánico'' also purchased 8 passenger coaches from the Railway Excursion Management Company (Railexco), including a

dome car A dome car is a type of railway Passenger car (rail), passenger car that has a glass dome on the top of the car where passengers can ride and see in all directions around the train. It also can include features of a Coach (rail), coach, lounge c ...

named the ''Stampede Pass'', two ex-

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

Amfleet Amfleet is a fleet of single-level intercity railroad passenger car (rail), passenger cars built by the Budd Company for American company Amtrak in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Budd based the Amfleet design on its earlier Budd Metroliner, Me ...

coaches, and 5

Budd SPV-2000 The Budd SPV-2000 is a self-propelled diesel multiple unit railcar built by the Budd Company between 1978 and 1981 for use on Commuter rail in North America, North American commuter railroads. The design was a successor to Budd's popular Budd Rail ...

coaches. On 26 August 2023, the

Stadler Citylink The Stadler Citylink (known as the Vossloh Citylink until 2015) is a series of tram-trains manufactured by Stadler Rail at its Valencia factory since 2011. The design was introduced by Vossloh España before their takeover by Stadler Rail in 20 ...

trains from the former Puebla–Cholula Tourist Train arrived at Coatzacoalcos railway station for use on the train. In addition, the Mexican government bought 8 special wagons (including two

coaches) from the Railway Excursion Management Company (Railexco). They also bought three British Rail Class 43 locomotives and 11

British Rail Mark 3 The British Rail Mark 3 is a type of passenger railway carriage, carriage developed in response to growing competition from passenger airline, airlines and the automobile, car in the 1970s. A variant of the Mark 3 became the rolling stock for t ...

coaches, which reached the port of Coatzacoalcos on the ship ARKHANGELSK. The purchased HSTs weigh 70.25 tons and 17.79 meters (58 feet) of length each,as well as wagons of 38.18 tons and 23 m (75' 5 _^1/2 ") in length.

Note

References

External links

Passenger Interoceanic Railway official website (Spanish)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tren Interoceanico Railway companies of Mexico Railway lines opened in 2023 Government-owned companies of Mexico