Tijuana-Tecate Railway Modernization Project Commences

Up to 300 million Pesos to be invested in next few months

TIJUANA.- Baja California's governor and other government officials participated in the groundbreaking of a project that will modernize and renovate the Tijuana-Tecate railroad. The project will require an investment of up to 300 million pesos (around $28 million U.S.)

VIDEO: Inauguration of the Tijuana-Tecate railroad.

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"It is a project that will bring many benefits, binationally, and the state goverment is working toward strenghtening infrastructure via the Tijuana-San Ysidro route", said Governor Francisco Vega during the ceremony.

The entrance of the railroad into Mexico from the Tijuana Station
The entrance of the railroad into Mexico from the Tijuana Station



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The project will include a considerable expansion of the Tijuana Station to accomodate 43 additional wagons and storage for 61 more than its current capacity of only 18. The government believes that each wagon can hold four tractor-trailers which will represent "considerable savings for the industrial sector in terms of transportation cost, as well as less contamination. "

To the east of Tijuana, an important investment in the Estación García, or Garcia Station, located at the end of Diaz Ordaz Boulevard near Los Pinos neighborhood will house a 3,900 square meter transfer station, which can accomodate 26 wagons and can be used by companies as a distribution center.

Tijuana Station Building
Tijuana Station Building

Another greate element is that 2.5 kilometers of track will be modernized in order to allow the train to travel faster and more dfficiently.

[p]Finally, the La Encantada bridge will be fixed as well as Tunel 3 which has been collapsed for the past five years, enabling access once again to the southeast of the U.S.

Of the total investment, 200 million pesos, ($18 million U.S.) will derive from federal funds out of the Treasury Ministry's budget, with the help of Mexico's Department of Communications and Transportation, and administered by the Baja state government. Governor Vega emphasized that these funds were not originally contemplated by the government under the recently announced federal infrastructure program, but thanks to constant visits to the capital they were able to obtain special resources for the state.

Governor Vega
Governor Vega



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Fernando Beltrán,president of Baja California Railroad Inc., was also present at the cermony and stated that the reactivation of the Tijuana-Tecate railway will position the state with the most modern short-distance railway in the country, adding that as the company licensed with managing the railroad, it has already invested millions on it (which is on top of the 200 million originating from the government).

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(de izq) Government Officials and, Fernando Beltrán of Baja California Railroad
(de izq) Government Officials and, Fernando Beltrán of Baja California Railroad

The governmor was critical of the fact that the U.S. side has not proposed projects to connect with the Pacific-Imperial Railroad and enable the Tijuana-Tecate railway to connect to the southeast of the U.S., or even with Mexicali. "We aren't going to wait," which is why the project will move forward despite the lack of U.S. work to connect the two sides, out of an urgency from the state's need to modernize.

The governor says this project demonstrates how important it is to not only collaborate with the federal government, but also tap into public-private investment.

[img srcThumb="http://edgecast.sdr-files.buscafs.com/uploads/news/photos/news_photo_57394_1410819203_630.jpg" srcLink="http://edgecast.sdr-files.buscafs.com/uploads/news/photos/news_photo_57394_1410819203.jpg" size="medium" Governor Vega during the groundbreaking ceremony [/img]

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