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After decades of constant defunding and even deactivation of historic routes, train travel is back with a vengeance.
All around the world, from East to West, multiple countries are launching new railway services, and despite having relied heavily on buses as a means of intercity transportation, Mexico is now no exception.
Back in 2023, the Latin American country made History by debuting a long-awaited Maya Train, which loops around the Yucatán Peninsula, and quickly followed it up with a coast-to-coast route from the Gulf, down to the Pacific Coast.
Now, local developers have their eyes set on a new promising train line that will connect 2 of the country’s most cultural cities:
So This Is Mexico’s Follow-Up To The Maya Train
As announced by newly-elected President Claudia Sheinbaum, a passenger train between Mexico City and Santiago de Querétaro is the next major infrastructure project the national government will subsidize.
To the tune of 144 billion Mexican pesos, or roughly 7.2 billion dollars, the passenger line is expected to improve connectivity from central Mexico to its capital city, and directly benefit 5.6 million people.
That’s exciting news for train enthusiasts and culture buffs alike, as currently, all commuting from Mexico City to Querétaro is done by road, and we’re all too familiar with those bus delays and traffic jams.
According to Andrés Lajous, the head of Mexico’s increasingly-important Rail Transport Regulatory Agency (ARTF), the CDMX—Querétaro train will be delivered by late 2027.
Now, we should all take that with a pinch of salt:
If we recall correctly, the Maya Train was also supposed to have bowed some years before its actual opening, and it was plagued by a number of delays in construction, especially after environmentalists got involved and raised concerns over the razing of native vegetation and damages to cenotes in the area.
So far, no environment experts have sounded the alarm on the Querétaro-bound train, so it could be that delays this time are minimal.
Oh, and if we’re being honest, it probably helps that this train is a priority of the Sheinbaum government, much like the Maya Train became a legacy project of the AMLO years—that’s in reference to the previous administration.
More On The Train Itself
As for the train itself, it will run on a maximum speed of 124 miles per hour, completing the journey in about 1h50.
That’s way shorter than driving, or taking the bus, which takes roughly 2h45, and that’s if Mexico City’s typical bottlenecks are not accounted for.
It has been confirmed also that the train will stop in the following stations: Buenavista (CDMX), Tula, and San Juan Del Río.
On top of that, at a later stage, an additional 68 miles of tracks will be laid from Querétaro to Irapuato, in the central region of the state of Guanajuato, considerably reducing travel times by up to 30 percent.
Explore Mexico City’s Vibrant Neighborhoods And Food Scene
Mexico City truly needs no introduction:
As the largest city, capital, and cultural and financial heart of Mexico, it has plenty to keep you busy for days, if not weeks on end.
From a bustling Zócalo, a centrally-placed square flanked by stately colonial-era palaces and a monumental Metropolitan Cathedral, one of the oldest in the Americas, to the vibrant, boujee districts of Polanco and Roma, with their leafy streets, ornate façades and charming plazas, CDMX is truly an inexhaustible treasure trove.
If you’re looking for a lesser-known spot hiding in plain sight that most first-time visitors skip altogether, make sure you check out the Xochimilco canals:
Dating back to the Aztec-era, this complex system of navigable waterways is one of the last few remaining elements of the pre-Columbian city that once stood here.
For incredible street food as delicious as the buzzing Coyoacan Market’s, yet far more offbeat and local, make sure you check out Mercado de San Cosme:
They have a plethora of curb-side favorites, with $2 tacos and generously-filled tamales to name a couple, and it’s a great spot for some casual dining.
Of course, a short drive away from the Downtown Zone, you can visit the world-famous Teotihuacán, a pyramid-dotted ancient site that’s Mexico’s most easily recognized postcards.
Explore The Beautiful Churches & Colonial Center Of Querétaro
At the other end of the line, Querétaro is an equally-captivating city blending colonial charm and other vibrant modern elements.
It has a beautifully preserved historic center, comprising mainly Spanish-era colonial architecture, and it’s distinguished for having played a pivotal role in Mexican History:
To all our fellow Mexicophiles out there, you should know this is both where Mexico’s independence movement reached bubbling point, following the execution of then-Emperor Maximilian I, and it’s where the Treaty of Guadalupe was signed.
For those who used to skip school, that’s the treaty that effectively ended the Mexican-American War.
Needless to say, all this rich culture is reflected in a stunning display of Baroque and Neo-Gothic buildings, from the towering cathedral, looming over a 16th-century Plaza de Armas, to the 74-arch Aqueduct of Querétaro, a magnificent feat of 18th-century engineering that still stands today.
On top of that, there are countless cobble-paved streets lined with colorful low houses and leafy plazas to discover, and it’s no wonder the entire Historic Center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Needless to say, a culture-infused, dual Mexico City—Querétaro city break is our top priority once the promised train finally hits the tracks in a couple of years.
Vinicius Costa
Vini, our senior lead writer at Travel Off Path, has over 60+ countries under his belt (and currently weaving tales from Paris!), and a knack for turning off-the-beaten-path experiences into informative stories that will have you packing your bags.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
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