Construction has officially begun on the Mexico–Querétaro passenger train project, with Andrés Lajous Loaeza, Director General of the Rail Transport Regulatory Agency (ARTF), announcing that the service will allow travel between Mexico City and Querétaro in just two hours.
According to information presented by ARTF during the launch event, the train is expected to serve an estimated six million users annually.
At the ceremony, attended by President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo and the Secretary of Infrastructure, Communications and Transport (SICT), Jesús Antonio Esteva Medina, Lajous detailed that the 226-kilometre double-track line will enable maximum speeds of 200 km/h.
“This project will cut current travel times, which often exceed two hours — and can stretch up to four, five or even six hours due to traffic — to around two hours,” Lajous said. “It’s not just about speed, but the certainty of the journey time. You will know that if you depart at 9 AM, you will arrive by 11 AM; if you leave at 3 PM, you will be at your destination by 5 PM.”
The train will offer strong connectivity in Mexico City, linking with the Suburban Train (Buenavista to Cuautitlán) and offering further connections at Buenavista to the Metro, Metrobús and Ecobici networks. In Querétaro, passengers will be able to connect to QroBus services, and stations will be designed with facilities for local transport.
The line will include the following stops: Huehuetoca (State of Mexico), an occasional stop at Praderas del Potrero, Tula, San Juan del Río, Los Héroes/Airport (to be confirmed), and Querétaro. Conceptual designs for the stations are already in place, prioritising comfort, security, and multimodal connectivity, including parking facilities and public transport access.
Lajous highlighted that local materials such as masonry and brick from the project regions will be used for station façades and structures to support regional economic development.
The Mexico–Querétaro train is the second new line to break ground, following the Mexico–Pachuca line, which began construction in March. Two additional routes — Querétaro–Irapuato and Saltillo–Nuevo Laredo — are scheduled to start construction in July 2025. Altogether, the four lines will cover 786 kilometres.
The Mexico–Querétaro project is being built by the Secretariat of National Defence (SEDENA) and involves a coordinated effort between the SICT, SEDENA, SEDATU, SEMARNAT, BIENESTAR, CONAGUA, CONANP, INAH, INPI, and various state and municipal governments.
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