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AMLO signs contract to begin construction of Maya Train cars

Mexico City, Mexico — On Wednesday, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador led the signing of the contract for the acquisition and construction of cars for the Maya Train. The signing of the contract comes after the late-May announcement of the winner of the tender, Bombardier Transportation México.

After the singing of the contract, AMLO told the press “this is a very important act, transcendent because the trains are already going to be obtained. They are of three types, a freight train, a train for passengers in the region and a train dedicated to tourism.”

He confirmed that the cars will be constructed in Ciudad Sahagún, Hidalgo and will generate thousands of jobs, adding that the cars will be modern of quality and ready in the scheduled time and budget.

“It is quite a challenge because we need to have the trains by 2023 because the Maya Train has to start operations at the end of 2023,” he said.

The general director of Alstom México and legal representative of Bombardier Transportation México, Maite Ramos Gómez, indicated that the trains have a one-of-a-kind design and meet the highest safety and quality standards. They will operate with RTMS systems and will reach speeds between 160 and 200 kilometers per hour.

“Today, the consortium that I represent has the support and experience of the largest train manufacturing companies in the world. Our presence in Mexico since 1952, that is, for almost 70 years, has made the Mexican workforce one of the most recognized in terms of quality and safety in the world. (…) Thank you very much for your trust, Mr. President,” he said.

The Director General of the National Fund for the Promotion of Tourism (Fonatur), Rogelio Jiménez Pons, reiterated that the environmental impact of the Maya Train is “practically nil”, since the train will pass where the old railway used to pass or where there are rights of way of the roads.

He assured that “there is a mobilization of all spheres of government so that the project is as comprehensive as possible” in order to protect the environment and the historical and archaeological heritage of the southeast region.