Mexican government recently mandated that private freight railway lines prioritize passenger train services over their regular freight operations through a new decree.

The recent decree requires the main private railway operators in Mexico to submit plans by Jan. 15 for providing passenger services. If they refuse, the government might assign the army or navy, despite their lack of railway experience, to oversee these services.

Presently, Mexican railways primarily handle freight, with only a few tourist train services operating in specific regions like the Copper Canyon and Jalisco’s tequila-producing area.

The Mexican government aims to introduce four shorter inter-city routes for passenger trains, utilizing tracks typically reserved for freight transportation.

However, their more ambitious goal involves establishing three extensive passenger routes from central Mexico to the U.S. border: a 700-mile service from Mexico City to Nuevo Laredo, a 900-mile route from Aguascalientes to Ciudad Juárez, and a 1,350-mile journey from the capital to Nogales on the border.