Train ridership in Mexico is up, following the completion of two major new train routes and thanks to the ongoing success of Mexico City’s Suburban Train, according to government data.
In 2025, 55.1 million passengers traveled on Mexico’s six active rail systems, representing a 6.9% increase compared to the previous year. Mexico City’s Suburban Train, which links the northern limit of the city with Cuautitlán in México state, contributed 82% of this increase.
Mexico City’s Suburban Train, which is operated by Ferrocarriles Suburbanos, recorded passenger numbers of 45.1 million in 2025, down 2.2% from the previous year.
The founder of the consulting firm Spyral, Alfredo Nolasco, blames the decrease on a range of factors, including the development of alternative transport options, the rise in the number of office workers working from home after the COVID-19 pandemic, the growing use of motorcycles and the increase in purchasing power among the lower income brackets.
However, passenger numbers are expected to increase with the upcoming inauguration of the light rail connection from México state’s Lechería station to the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) and the gradual adoption of the recently inaugurated Interurban “Insurgente” Train linking eastern México state with the Observatorio station of the Mexico City Metro.
Now running: El Insurgente train linking Toluca with Mexico City in 45 minutes
After years of delays, the long-awaited train became fully operational in February. In 2025, the then-operational section of the train, which connected Zinacantepec, Toluca, Metepec, Lerma and Santa Fe, saw an 88.8% increase in passenger numbers, which totaled 8.4 million at year’s end.
The Maya Train, in the Yucatán Peninsula, which became fully operational in December 2024, experienced similar success last year, with passenger numbers increasing by 91.9%, to 1.3 million year on year.
The ridership of the Suburban, Interurban and Maya Train lines contributed 99.5% of Mexico’s total rail passenger numbers in 2025.
This was followed by the Chepe Express tourist train (connecting Sinaloa with Chihuahua via the famous Copper Canyon) with 179,000 passengers, the Interoceanic Corridor (traversing Veracruz and Oaxaca) with 69,800 passengers, and the Tijuana-Tecate tourist train with 1,700.
Sheinbaum’s big rail plans
President Claudia Sheinbaum has announced major plans for the expansion of Mexico’s railways, having previously stated the ambitious goal of building more than 3,000 kilometers of railway track for passenger trains before her term ends in 2030.
Works commenced on the Mexico City-Querétaro and Querétaro-Irapuato train lines last year, which form part of the new Mexico City-Guadalajara-Nogales line. The government aims for the railway line to serve 6 million passengers each year once completed.
With reports from El Economista
