Chinese group to build Latin America’s first high-speed rail line

The Mexican Transportation Ministry on Tuesday said a Chinese consortium had won a contract to build the first high-speed rail line in Latin America.

The Transportation Minister, Gerardo Esparza, told newsmen in Mexico.

According to the minister, the link from Mexico to Queretaro is due to be completed by late 2017 at a cost of 2.6 billion Euros.

He added that the consortium led by China Railway Construction, with participation by four Mexican firms and French state-owned company Systra, submitted the winning bid.

Esparza said that the project would reduce a trip of more than two hours to 58 minutes with trains reaching top speeds of 300 kilometres per hour.

“The high-speed line is expected to carry 23,000 passengers daily,’’ Esparza said.

Report says Queretaro has become an important industrial centre in recent years.