Ferromex
Mexican railway company
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ferromex (reporting mark FXE) (syllabic abbreviation of Ferrocarril Mexicano, 'Mexican Railway') is a private rail consortium that operates the largest (by mileage) railway in Mexico with combined mileage (Ferromex + Ferrosur) of 12,100 kilometres (7,500 mi) and is often classed with North American Class I railroads.
| |
 Ferromex system map (own rails in blue, trackage rights in green) | |
 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Parent company |
|
| Headquarters | Mexico City[1] |
| Reporting mark | FXE |
| Locale | Mexico |
| Dates of operation | 1998–present |
| Predecessor | Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
| Length | 12,100 km (7,500 mi) |
| Other | |
| Website | ferromex |
History
Ferromex began operating on February 19, 1998, following the privatization of most of the government-owned railways by Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de León. Ferromex operates more than 9,610 kilometers (5,970 mi) of track and interconnects five major inland Mexican cities, five cities along the border with the United States, four seaports on the Pacific Ocean, and one more on the Gulf of Mexico. Grupo México owns 74%[2] and Union Pacific Corporation owns 26% of the company.[3] The Ferromex system operates 9,610 km of Ferromex tracks plus 2,654 kilometers (1,649 mi) of Ferrosur tracks.
Attempted merger with Ferrosur
In November 2005, Grupo México, the majority owner of Ferromex, purchased Infraestructura y Transportes Ferroviarios, the parent company of Ferrosur, another of Mexico's Class I railroads, in a US$309 million stock transaction.[4][5] The Mexican Federal Competition Commission (CFC) had rejected a proposed 2002 merger of Ferromex and Ferrosur amid opposition from Ferromex competitor Grupo Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM).[6]
Following the November 2005 purchase of Ferrosur by Grupo México, Kansas City Southern de México (KCSM), successor to TFM, petitioned the Mexican government to block the merger of Ferrosur and Ferromex. The CFC rejected the merger in June 2006 and stated that the merger would have led to excessive concentration in the railway industry to the detriment of consumers and competing shippers.[7] However, in March 2011, a tribunal ruled in Grupo México's favor, and the merger was permitted.[8]
Participation in the Privatization of Trenes Argentinos Cargas
In November 2025, Grupo México Transportes expressed interest in participating in the bidding process for the reprivatization and concession of the freight lines of the Belgrano, San Martín, and Urquiza railways, currently operated by the state-owned holding company Trenes Argentinos Cargas, which is in the process of liquidation amid the wave of privatization being carried out by the government of Argentine President Javier Milei.[9]
In December 2025, GMXT CEO Bernardo Ayala arrived in Argentina to hold meetings with government officials involved in the privatization process of the state-owned freight holding company, as well as with business leaders who currently transport their goods via the three lines, presenting the Group’s plans for the three lines. Ayala promised that the Group would invest more than $3 billions if it wins the concession.[10]
Although the privatization, sale, and liquidation process was initially intended to be carried out in phases—with the shops, rolling stock, and tracks being awarded as separate business units, Grupo México requested that the bidding documents be amended, seeking a comprehensive (vertical) for the complete operation of the three lines for 50 years, along with access to the tax, legal, and fiscal benefits offered by the Incentive Regime for Large Investments (RIGI), given the volume of money to be invested in the concessioned lines, along with the fact that the Group plans to bring new locomotives and railcars from Mexico.[10]
Grupo México subsequently raised the possibility of taking over the rail networks currently operated under concession by Ferroexpreso Pampeano, a subsidiary of the Techint steel group, and Ferrosur Roca, a subsidiary of the Loma Negra-Pampa Energía construction holding company, whose concessions expire in April and September 2026, given the business diversification that this would entail (access to the Vaca Muerta oil and gas Basin in the case of the network operated and concessioned to Ferrosur, and the operation of the grains rail network in the Province of La Pampa, the southern parts of the provinces of Santa Fe and Córdoba, and the western, central, and southern parts of the Province of Buenos Aires—currently operated by Ferro Expreso Pampeano—along with access to the hinterland of the Ingeniero White Port in Bahía Blanca, the main port on Argentina’s coast, also dominated by Ferro Expreso).[11]
Passenger services
Ferromex hosts the Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacífico "ChePe" railroad, a tourist line that runs through the Copper Canyon. Ferromex also operates the Tequila Express, which runs from Guadalajara to a tequila distillery in Amatitán.
Other
Grupo México Transportes, with Fundación Grupo México, operates Dr. Vagón, a hospital train that offers free, complete healthcare for hard to reach communities in Mexico.[12][13]
