Background on ICA and the Project
ICA, a prominent Mexican construction company, has been awarded the contract to build and design the first 100.05 km segment of the passenger train route between Saltillo and Nuevo Laredo. This project, valued at approximately 14,676.4 million pesos, marks the first public works contract awarded by the Agencia Reguladora del Transporte Ferroviario (ARTF) under Andrés Lajous’s administration.
The Competing Consortia
Two consortia competed for this contract: Comsa-Regiomontana de Construcción y Servicios-VISE and Gami-Construcciones Urales-Azvi. The former’s proposal was rejected due to technical insufficiencies, while the latter reached the final stage alongside ICA. The winning consortium consists of ICA Constructora, Constructora de Infraestructura, Construcciones y Trituraciones, Constructora El Cajón, Compañía Hidroeléctrica La Yesca, Desarrolladora de Infraestructura Puerto Escondido, Controladora de Operaciones de Infraestructura, and ICA Edificio Satélite.
Contract Details and Timeline
The contract, to be signed next Friday, will initiate works the following week. The project’s timeline spans from August 26, 2025, to April 11, 2028, with a construction period of 960 natural days. The winning consortium must provide valid documents from the Servicio de Administración Tributaria (SAT), Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), and Infonavit, demonstrating positive fiscal compliance.
Social Oversight and Remaining Fallo
The licitation process was monitored by social watchdog Mario Espartaco López Guerrero, who will submit his report in upcoming weeks. Meanwhile, the ARTF has yet to announce the fallo for the construction and design of the first 30.30 km segment of the Querétaro-Lrapuato passenger train route (Querétaro industrial zone-Apaseo El Grande industrial zone). The initial announcement for this fallo was also scheduled for August 18, but no updates have been provided on ComprasMX.
Key Questions and Answers
- Who won the contract? A consortium led by ICA was awarded the 14,676.4 million pesos contract for the first 100.05 km segment of the Saltillo-Nuevo Laredo passenger train.
- What is the significance of this project? This project marks the first public works contract awarded by ARTF under Andrés Lajous’s administration and is crucial for Mexico’s rail infrastructure development.
- What are the contract details? The contract, to be signed soon, will initiate works on August 26, 2025, and conclude on April 11, 2028. The winning consortium must provide valid fiscal compliance documents from SAT, IMSS, and Infonavit.
- Is there another pending fallo? Yes, the ARTF has not yet announced the fallo for the Querétaro-Lrapuato passenger train project, originally scheduled for August 18.
