# Mexico's Passenger Rail Service



## rrdude (Mar 1, 2010)

I've read a bit on line, Wikipedia etc., but still find it incredulous that Mexico just "swept away" their rail passenger service years back. I feel fortunate to have ridden the Aztec Eagle (???) from Nuevo Laredo to Mexico City in the mid-eighties.

I know the railroads privatized, but was part of the privatization the right to canx ALL pax services? Is there any movement at the national or state levels in the Mexican government to establish any kind of service, other than commuter?

Inquiring minds just want to know.............

It seems that Mexico didn't learn anything from the Amtrak debacle, in fact it looks like they said, "we can do the USA 'one better' and get rid of ALL pax trains......."


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## Bob Dylan (Mar 1, 2010)

rrdude said:


> I've read a bit on line, Wikipedia etc., but still find it incredulous that Mexico just "swept away" their rail passenger service years back. I feel fortunate to have ridden the Aztec Eagle (???) from Nuevo Laredo to Mexico City in the mid-eighties.
> I know the railroads privatized, but was part of the privatization the right to canx ALL pax services? Is there any movement at the national or state levels in the Mexican government to establish any kind of service, other than commuter?
> 
> Inquiring minds just want to know.............
> ...


Good post, I too got to ride the old Aztec Eagle along with various other Mexican trains back in the day! They were slow as molasses but dirt cheap, and as is true in most third world countries (and rural areas in this country such as the EB) served as commuter transportation to/from the towns/cities for the country dwellers! As far as I can tell with the exception of Private Charter "Land Cruise" Companies the only regularly scheduled trains still running in Mexico are the Copper Canyon Trains and the Tequila Express from Guadalajara-Tequila. The Govt. of Mexico went on a privitiztion kick (sound familiar)

to sell government assests, foriegn interests bought the railroads and the ferries resulting in service vanishing like magic, same thing would happen here IMO if Amtrak was allowed to die like the last few Presidents wanted! (I wouldnt have aproblem if Warren Buffet decide to buy/run the passenger rail system, hed be the exception that proves the rule but hes probably to smart to get into this money pit!  ) Anyway, the busses in Mexico are now really first rate, make the dog seem like school busses, just last week I rode an Americanos bus when Jefferson Lines bailed out on Amtrak on the KCY-OKC thruway and it was 100% better than the Greyhound I rode from Tulsa-Dallas!Still miss the NdeM though!


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