Sheinbaum oversees construction work on the Querétaro-Irapuato Train; Kuri and Libia Dennise accompany her

While supervising the works of the Querétaro-Irapuato Train alongside Querétaro Governor Mauricio Kuri González and the Governor of Guanajuato, Libia Dennise García, both from the National Action Party (PAN), the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, stated that despite their differences, they work in a coordinated manner every day. "Congratulations to those who accompany us today, to the companies that are building, to the workers, to the Governor of Querétaro, who has helped us a lot, and to the Governor of Guanajuato. We belong to different political parties, but that has nothing to do with it when we work together for the good of Mexico," she said. From Guanajuato, the federal leader supervised the works of the sections corresponding to the Querétaro-Irapuato Train, which will span 102 kilometers with five stations: Apaseo el Grande, Celaya, Cortazar/Villagrán, Salamanca, and Irapuato, and currently shows 24.71% progress. In addition, she attributed the country's economic development to the Housing for Well-Being Program and the railway plan announced during her administration. "During construction, an impressive amount of employment is generated, along with value chains that allow us to boost the economy. I am sure that between the housing program we have and the trains program, these are what are driving the economy the most in terms of public works in our country. Obviously, Infonavit is primarily the workers' resource, but they are driving, I would say, close to 1% of GDP during this year," she detailed. She highlighted that the Mexican economy grew 3.2% annually in the third quarter of 2026 (July-September), according to the Timely Estimate of Quarterly Gross Domestic Product published by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi). "The estimates were that we would not exceed 1% annually, and that if we exceeded 1%, it would be a lot. And I always said: 'it's because they don't count the public works and housing we are building.' And it is showing results; Mexico is also a space that attracts foreign and national investment. There is a lot of private investment in manufacturing, in electronics, in many areas in Querétaro and Guanajuato, and that boosts the economy very significantly," she declared. In this regard, she reiterated that with the federal government's railway project, she plans to build 2,500 kilometers of track during the six-year term for both passengers and freight. She highlighted the Mexico City-Querétaro train, with connections to San Luis Potosí, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, and the Mexico City-Querétaro Train. "Normally, from Mexico City to Querétaro it should take two hours, and sometimes it takes five or six hours due to the amount of traffic on this highway. With the Mexico City-Querétaro train existing, it will take away much of the passenger transport and will allow freight to circulate on the highway as well as on the existing freight railway," she said. She mentioned that to carry out this project, a "very elaborate" demand analysis was conducted to guarantee profitability and fair fares for passengers. She indicated that the railway project is long-term and benefits the country's metropolitan areas: "it is as if we were building metros." The General Director of the Agency of Trains and Integrated Public Transport (ATTRAPI), Andrés Lajous, reported that this project will include 10 viaducts totaling 6 kilometers, a 1.5 km box tunnel, and 13 road structures. He detailed that the first 30 kilometers correspond to Section I, and the following 70 kilometers pass through Salamanca and Cortázar in Section II. The company in charge of the project is Alstom Ferroviaria México; currently, the works generate 3,365 direct jobs and 5,700 indirect jobs, and it is estimated that 2 million people will benefit across both states. Efraín Deschamps Gutiérrez de Velasco, head of the Construction Unit of ATTRAPI, highlighted that the Basurero viaduct (whose name they plan to change) is 86.15% complete, will be one kilometer long, with 38 spans, Aashto type IV girders, each 30 meters long. "The Celaya viaduct is the longest viaduct of this project, at 1.8 kilometers plus its two access points. This viaduct also has a special complexity because it is the connection of Celaya's urban exit and where Celaya's industrial zone begins. So it involves a reconfiguration of the freight tracks and the spurs that will allow us to guarantee the free operation of industry," he detailed. The expert indicated that five viaducts are currently under construction, two more will begin next week, and the remaining three will start at the end of December. Regarding the trains, he pointed out that the company Alstom manufactures them in Ciudad Sahagún, Hidalgo. Each one is 100 meters long and can be coupled if two trains need to be joined. "So, this is what we have at the moment; the overall progress of this 102-kilometer section is 25%. We are progressing well, in the sense that we have right-of-way available to work, and we are focused above all on the structures, which is the critical path to finish the project on time," he said this Saturday. 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