The mixed operation of passenger and freight trains faces various challenges in its development and operation, primarily related to safety, regulations, schedules , and others, according to industry experts.
Benjamín Alemán Castilla, founding partner of ALTTRAC and former head of the Railway Transport Regulatory Agency (ARTF) , commented that passenger trains will be built in the main rail freight corridors, such as in Veracruz, Puebla, Mexico City, Celaya, Guadalajara, Monterrey and Nuevo Laredo , so the confinement works must “be very relevant.”
In this regard, he explained that promoting mixed-use corridors provides an opportunity to correct fiscal and regulatory asymmetries between the two modes , develop a one-stop shop for multimodal planning, increase safety and punctuality in traffic mixes, and implement programs to reduce accidents, among other actions.
“There are several elements that place a heavier regulatory burden on one mode of transport than another, and this makes one service comparatively more expensive than another, which impacts the different modes of transport in the country,” he said during an event held by the Mexican Railway Association (AMF) .
Juan Carlos Miranda Hernández, coordinator of the Railway Subcommittee of the College of Civil Engineers of Mexico (CICM) , highlighted the differences in the operation of passenger and freight trains, including speed, capacity, compensation, infrastructure, schedule restrictions, and industrial development , to name a few.
Meanwhile, passenger services using concessioned right-of-way, the modality under which the projects proposed by the current federal administration will be developed, face limitations in terms of growth, as do connectivity for industries and others.
However, he asserted that ” it was a wise decision not to allow passenger services to operate on freight lines and to build new infrastructure and operate with different specifications, techniques, and operating regimes.”
“It must be taken into consideration that these are freight-operated tracks; the construction itself could create unsafe conditions for freight trains, or the trains could create unsafe conditions for workers and the construction site,” he explained.
For his part, Óscar Hernández Oviedo, head of the Maya Train Infrastructure Management Unit , noted that a mixed operation allows for maximizing the use of railway infrastructure, serving mobility and logistics markets.
“The challenge is clear: without regulations or technology, differences in speed and weight can reduce the network’s effective capacity. The Maya Train, from its design, contemplates the coexistence of passenger and freight trains under interoperability,” he stated.
Therefore, he indicated that passenger trains currently operate at a speed of 160 kilometers per hour (km/h) and freight trains will travel at 100 km/h. “This will limit effective capacity if schedules are not properly managed, and we must consolidate them efficiently. Tools must be developed for fixed schedules, scheduled crossings, double-track sections, and in high-demand areas, with laredos with a minimum length of 1.5 km. We must also monitor trains per hour, punctuality, track occupancy, and other factors to fine-tune operations.”
He asserted that the joint venture in the country represents a strategic opportunity to consolidate an efficient, resilient, and high-impact railway model .
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