Mexico passenger fleet contract: Alstom wins 47-DMU order

Mexico passenger fleet contract: Mexico’s Rail Transport Regulatory Agency (ARTF) has awarded Alstom a deal valued at about US$1bn to supply and maintain 47 DMUs for the government programme to restore long-distance passenger services, as described by International Railway Journal. The fleet will be deployed on the Mexico City – Querétaro, Querétaro – Irapuato and Saltillo – Nuevo Laredo lines.

Alstom DMU supply and maintenance in Mexico

Mexico’s largest passenger rolling stock order in recent years will be manufactured at Alstom’s Ciudad Sahagún facility.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

The contract covers 14 commuter units and 33 inter-city trains. For the commuter version, capacity is set at 700 passengers, including 315 seats. The inter-city variant will have 265 seats, with amenities such as power sockets and USB charging ports at each seat, and the fleet will be equipped with ERTMS.

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Support services, depots and contract term to 2032

The Mexico passenger fleet contract goes beyond train delivery. It includes a US$33.9m package for the design work and construction supervision of train inspection facilities, plus the design and equipping of two maintenance depots priced at US$39.9m each. Fleet maintenance is also part of the scope: a five-year package worth US$139.3m covering consumables, the supply of qualified personnel, technical documentation and tools. The contract runs until December 2032.

Tender evaluation: ARTF scoring and rival bids

On the tender evaluation, Alstom recorded the highest combined score at 83.78 points out of 100, even though it scored lower on technical evaluation than its main competitor. Its economic proposal received the maximum 35 out of 35 points, which proved decisive. CAF placed second with 81.29 points overall and submitted a higher bid of US$1.23bn. The bid from CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive, in joint venture with Mexico Railway Transportation Equipment, was deemed non-compliant after scoring only 41.43 technical points.

Separate from the ARTF award, Chinese interest has also been evident in Mexico. CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive won a US$296m contract in September to supply 15 EMUs for the new line linking Mexico City with Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) and Pachuca.

For additional background on Mexico’s passenger rail revival plans and the corridors involved, see Railway Supply. Alstom’s Ciudad Sahagún facility has built 42 X’Trapolis DMUs and bi-mode trains under the US$1.85bn fleet and railway systems contract for the Mayan Train project, awarded by the Mexican government for US$1.84bn in May 2021. That contract includes fleet maintenance.

For public documentation linked to one of the routes referenced in the procurement, Proyectos México provides further detail.

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