In a Mexico where the technical capabilities of officials were valued more than just loyalty, there was room to implement public policies to achieve the development of the country and, above all, to give continuity to various projects.

A representative of this dynamic is Aarón Dychter Poltolarek , who was Undersecretary of Transportation in the then Ministry of Communications and Transportation (SCT, now SICT) not only in two administrations, but with two different political parties in charge of the country: that of Presidents Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de León (1994-2000) and Vicente Fox Quesada (2000-2006) .

On Saturday, October 24, the death of Aarón Dychter was announced. He was a figure who held the position of Undersecretary of Transportation for 12 years, and he based his position on his technical profile and the implementation of projects that were strategic in the modernization of the national transportation infrastructure.

Among the processes he led, Dychter highlighted the transformation of the Mexican railway system through the concession scheme, a reform that redefined the operation of freight rail transport in the country, making it more productive and a logistical tool for industries located in the country.

Through this process, the concessions of Grupo México Transportes (Ferromex – Ferrosur) , Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) , Ferrovalle and the Coahuila-Durango Line operate today.

During his tenure, the new national airport model was also consolidated, which strengthened the concessioned airport groups, incorporating private capital into the operation and development of strategic air terminals.

One project that was managed and succeeded in laying the foundations for its consolidation, which today is even used for the connectivity of the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA), is the suburban railway system for the Metropolitan Area of ​​the Valley of Mexico, through which the current Suburban Train was built that connects Mexico City with municipalities of the State of Mexico.

Managing deregulation

In 1989, the federal government deregulated federal freight transport (it also did so with passenger transport), thereby eliminating concessions and granting free access permits; service rates and service routes were deregulated .

In the 1990s, there was rapid growth in the number of companies and the trucking fleet. Between 1989 and 2000, the number of companies increased by 136%, while the trucking fleet grew by 82% and the trailer fleet by 268%.

It was precisely during this period, starting in 1994, that the General Directorate of Federal Motor Transport , attached to the Undersecretariat of Transport, had to deal with the dynamic growth of this activity.

In response to this process, Dychter Poltolarek stated that it was a process that benefited the country, laying the foundations for greater competition and giving access to micro-entrepreneurs, known as the man-truck driver.

From public to private

Upon leaving public service in 2007, Aarón Dychter founded ADHOC Consultores Asociados , a firm specializing in strategic advice for transportation, energy and infrastructure projects.

His expertise in regulation, financing and concessions allowed him to join various boards of directors of companies linked to the country’s logistics and infrastructure development, including Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste (Asur) , Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte (OMA) , Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP) , Empresas ICA , IEnova and TRAXION .

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El cargo Aaron Dychter, a key figure in the history of transportation apareció primero en T21.

While construction of its intermodal terminal in Pesquería, Nuevo León, progresses toward its first operational phase in the second half of 2026, Bulkmatic de México is not simply carrying out construction work: it is redesigning its growth strategy. The company has defined a roadmap that combines physical expansion, market diversification, and strategic repositioning within the Mexican rail system. Within this framework, it is preparing an additional investment of $70 million this year, earmarked for new expansions in Tula, Hidalgo, and Tlalnepantla, State of Mexico, which will be completed in 2027.

More than isolated projects, it’s a network approach: interconnected rail nodes seeking to capture logistical value across various industrial segments. Alejandro Doria, the company’s president, clearly defines it in an interview with T21: “Our goal is double-digit growth in all the sectors where we operate, including the distribution of food-grade plastic resins, minerals, chemicals, and fuels, which we believe are poised for a rebound.”

This approach reveals a cross-cutting strategy: Bulkmatic is not focusing on a single market, but rather on building a multi-purpose platform that allows it to capture diverse flows under a single rail infrastructure. Within this framework, the energy sector has become one of the most critical components of the model.

Change of scale

For years, the movement of hydrocarbons remained virtually stagnant. This was not due to a lack of structural demand, but rather to a regulatory, operational, and market environment that distorted the formal distribution chain. However, a change in this trend began to emerge in late 2025, driven by the federal policy against fuel theft.

Doria explains it this way: “This direct fight by the (Mexican) government against fuel smuggling has helped our clients place their product in the corresponding markets, and we believe it will continue this way, with sound policies that will benefit the entire sector. We see a Ministry of Energy and a National Energy Commission that are more open to processing permits, although they are still very lengthy. Now they are adhering more closely to the law; before, things were stagnant, the legally stipulated timeframes for processing permits were not respected, and this gives us hope that things are moving forward.”

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El cargo From operator to integrator: Bulkmatic’s new cycle in Mexico apareció primero en T21.

In an environment of uncertainty and global economic moderation, the Mexican Railway System (SFM) registered a 4.6% decrease in freight movement from January to September 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.

According to statistics from the Agency of Trains and Integrated Public Transport (ATTRAPI) , 96.52 million tons were moved, while in the period compared it was 101.23 million tons.

“The results reflect the system’s adaptability and its strategic role in national and international logistics,” the organization stated.

He specified that the resilience and operational recovery of the rail system was reflected in the volume of loaded railcars transported. Between January and September 2025, 1,112,517 loaded railcars were transported.

“Although this performance represents an annual contraction, it is also noted that in the third quarter there was an increase of 3.6% compared to the first quarter, which suggests a gradual reactivation of rail freight transport,” he stressed.

The agency specified that foreign trade accounted for 76.07% of the total volume transported by rail. In this context, and despite persistent tariff uncertainty, it noted that international traffic showed a year-on-year growth of 1.6% compared to the same period in 2024. Meanwhile, domestic traffic fell by 20.4% .

Imports reached 55.91 million tons, which were distributed between land borders and seaports, while exports totaled 17.52 million tons, registering increases of 1.32% and 2.83%, respectively.

In this environment, the borders of Nuevo Laredo and Piedras Negras consolidated themselves as the main rail and land exchange nodes between Mexico and the United States, concentrating 67.1% of imports and 63.6% of exports.

On the other hand, the ports of Veracruz and Manzanillo stood out as key rail points for receiving maritime cargo , handling 70.2% of imports transferred to the rail network, primarily from Europe, Asia, and South America. Regarding exports, the ports of Guaymas and Mazatlán channeled 38.8% of the maritime volume moved by rail, “underscoring their role in the export of Mexican products to international markets.”

ATTRAPI highlighted that from January to September 2025, Ferromex and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) of Mexico concentrated the majority volume of rail freight moved, with shares of 46.7 and 39.7%, respectively.

During the period, Ferromex transported 45.08 million tons, representing a year-on-year decrease of 6.9%, while CPKC de México reached 38.3 million tons, with a slight decrease of 0.5%. Meanwhile, Ferrosur moved 10.04 million tons, with a drop of 10.2%.

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El cargo Rail freight in Mexico decreases from January to September 2025 apareció primero en T21.

According to data from the First Government Report , domestic traffic ended the period with 16,232 tons compared to 20,945 tons in the previous period, a decrease of 22.5 percent .

Meanwhile, imports fell 0.8% , from 36,436 tons to 36,128 tons; while exports increased 0.4%, closing at 11,404 tons compared to 11,357 tons year-on-year.

Similarly, it was highlighted that during the aforementioned period, investment in railway infrastructure increased from 9.799 billion pesos (mdp) to 40.676 billion pesos , a 315% year-over-year increase.

During the first term of the current administration, led by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, 38.6 billion pesos in public investment were allocated to this area, compared to 7.77 billion pesos year-on-year.

Private investment, meanwhile, increased from 2.029 billion pesos to 2.071 billion pesos, a 2% increase over the same period.

In the railway sector, the First Government Report specified that the reactivation of the passenger train service was promoted with new routes that will add more than three thousand kilometers, integrated into projects such as the Mayan Train, the Interoceanic Train, the Mexico-Toluca Train and the Suburban Train to the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA ) .

In addition, the construction phase of the Mexico City-Pachuca, Mexico City-Querétaro-Irapuato, and Saltillo-Monterrey-Nuevo Laredo passenger trains began, and progress was made on strengthening the Isthmus of Tehuantepec Interoceanic Railway and the upcoming Mayan Train freight train.

“The Mexican government recognizes the need to consolidate an intermodal transportation infrastructure network that guarantees comprehensive connectivity throughout the national territory, its links to international markets, regional cohesion, and increases the country’s competitiveness through a more efficient, sustainable, and safe transportation system,” the document emphasized.

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El cargo Rail freight down 7.2%: Government Report apareció primero en T21.

During 2024, 4,133 reports of theft were recorded by concessionaires of the Mexican Railway System, a 34.5% increase compared to 2023, when there were 3,071 reports.

According to data from the Railway Transport Regulatory Agency (ARTF) , the months with the highest incidence were January, April, June and July .

The ARTF specified that the subgroup of goods that most reported these types of incidents throughout last year were grains, seeds, and their derivatives, followed by industrial products and construction materials .

He detailed that the most stolen products from these subgroups were corn, non-specific accessories, and cement .

Mexico’s northern border states, specifically Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Sonora, had the highest concentration of reports due to their relationship with the operational dynamics of international rail traffic, given that these states are key points for the transit of goods between Mexico and the United States, the ARTF explained.

By December 2024, 274 reported theft incidents were recorded , which represented a 22.5% year-over-year decrease, compared to 354 reported incidents in the same month of 2023.

The goods most vulnerable to theft were grains, seeds and derivatives (23%), with corn being the most affected (40.6%), followed by construction materials (17.63%), with cement representing 97.9% of the thefts .

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El cargo Railway robberies will skyrocket in 2024 apareció primero en T21.

The Mexico Valley Railway and Terminal (Ferrovalle) announced yesterday that it has requested the suspension of container cargo transits from the port of Lázaro Cárdenas , due to difficulties “unrelated to the operation” in carrying out customs clearance at its intermodal terminal, which has caused high occupancy at its facilities.

In a statement distributed by Ferrovalle Intermodal to its clients, such as shipping lines and logistics operators, it stated that this situation has been occurring for three weeks, and “has caused an occupancy as of today (May 5) of 94% of the total capacity of the controlled area with an average dwell (stay) of 18 days.”

This situation contrasts with the figures reported at the beginning of last April, when the controlled area had a 26% occupancy rate. However, due to the significant imbalance between terminal departures and arrivals, the area is currently at maximum capacity.

“Considering that dispatch times have increased considerably for reasons beyond the control of Ferrovalle Intermodal, we are forced to request the suspension of container loading with final destination to the Ferrovalle Intermodal bonded facility originating from the port of Lázaro Cárdenas, effective today (May 5), until such time as conditions exist for efficient and safe operational resumption,” the statement said.

The concessionaire for the line connecting the port of Lázaro Cárdenas with Ferrovalle is Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) of Mexico . T21 reached out to the railroad company for comment on this situation, but has so far received no response.

The Ferrovalle Intermodal Terminal is an important logistics hub for receiving and shipping goods to Mexico City and its metropolitan area via rail lines that connect with ports on the Pacific and Gulf of Mexico, as well as with the northern border.

The French shipping company CMA CGM told T21 that they are aware of this situation but have not reported any impact so far. The main container terminals in Lázaro Cárdenas have also not reported any adverse impact due to this decision.

Likewise, the Lázaro Cárdenas National Port System Administration (Asipona) told T21 that they are analyzing this situation.

A source close to the operation at Ferrovalle, who requested anonymity, told T21 that customs agents have slowed down their operations , “because there are ANAM (Mexican National Customs Agency) operations outside Ferrovalle, and they prefer not to leave with their cargo to avoid being subject to inspection.”

ANAM statistics report that, during the first three months of 2025, the customs office operating in Ferrovalle (Mexico Customs) totaled 43,728 operations , which has even meant an 18.2% drop compared to the same period last year.

These operations have mostly been imports, with 41,120 also reporting a 14.2 percent decrease.

For the first quarter of this year, this customs office has collected three thousand 122.93 million pesos , an annual increase of 8.4%, an amount that places it in 25th position nationwide (the country has 50 customs offices in total).

“Customs procedures there are very slow,” said another anonymous source who is actively involved in container imports at the Ferrovalle terminal.

Operation in Ferrovalle

According to the most recent data from the Mexican Railway Transport Regulatory Agency (ARTF) , as of October 2024, Ferrovalle handled 2.02 million tons , a 4.20% year-over-year increase. This represented 1.81% of the 111.86 million tons transported on the Mexican Railway System.

With information from Evangelina del Toro

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El cargo Ferrovalle suspends transit from the port of Lázaro Cárdenas apareció primero en T21.