The opening of the Suburban Train branch to the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) has been delayed due to issues with acquiring the right of way. Max Noria, director of Marketing for Suburban Railways, stated in an interview that the right of way has been the main obstacle and that as of September, they were 80% clear of it. The exact number of sections remaining to be released in the 15 kilometers where the company works is unknown, but it is expected that the project will be ready for testing sometime in the last quarter of this administration’s term, potentially allowing for operation to begin in the third quarter of next year.
The new deadline implies an extension of the previously mentioned June 2023 date for the train to be operational. The construction of the Suburban branch from Lechería station to AIFA covers 23 kilometers, with eight located in Santa Lucía air base polygon and 15 in Tultitlán and Tultepec municipalities. In Tultepec’s section, Suburban Railways is carrying out civil engineering work to equip the branch line with catenary, electrical substation and signaling systems while Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation is responsible for acquiring trains and other infrastructure.
As of September, the project was only 46% complete, with ongoing work by 77 machines and over 2 thousand workers round-the-clock in a bid to fulfill President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s promise not to leave any unfinished work behind before his term ends. Despite this delay, Suburban Railways remains committed to delivering a fully functional railway line connecting commuters with Mexico City’s international airport by next year.
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