Ferrocarriles Chiapas-Mayab

Ferrocarriles Chiapas-Mayab (reporting mark FCCM) is a state owned railroad in southeastern Mexico[11][12] since 2016.

Compañía de Ferrocarriles Chiapas-Mayab S.A. de C.V.
The former FFCM station in Palenque, Chiapas as seen on 16 April 2011
Overview
HeadquartersMérida, Yucatán
LocaleMexico
Dates of operation1999[1]–30 September 2007,[2] March 2014- present[3][4]
PredecessorNacionales de Mexico
Ferrocarriles Chiapas-Mayab (Genesee & Wyoming 1999-2007)
Ferroistmo (2008-2012)
Ferrocarriles Chiapas-Mayab (Viabilis Holding 2013-2016)[5][6][7][8]
SCT 2017-2018[9]
Ferroistmo (2018-present[10]
SuccessorSCT
Technical
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Other
Websitehttp://www.fccm.com.mx

History

Ferrocarriles Chiapas-Mayab became a subsidiary of the Genesee & Wyoming in 1999 with a 30-year concession to operate the railroad.[7] The railroad was damaged by Hurricane Stan in October 2005. The hurricane damaged over 175 miles of track and Genesee & Wyoming was not financially capable to repair the railroad.[13] On 25 June 2007, Genesee & Wyoming Inc announced it was giving up its 30-year concession and liquidating FCCM SA by the end of 2007.[2] Operation of Ferrocarriles Chiapas-Mayab was officially taken over by Ferrocarril del Istmo de Tehuantepec in 2008.[14] In 2012, Secretary of Communications and Transportation amended the railway concession in order to keep the railways under government control while allowing any potential investor to operate the cargo operations.[8] By 2013, The Secretary of Communications and Transportation announced it had given the new amended concession to Viabilis Holdings to continue operations of Ferrocarriles Chiapas-Mayab[7] for a period of 30–50 years.[6]

Criticism

Employees who work for Ferrocarriles Chiapas-Mayab, as well as the SCT, have criticized management for the deterioration and lack of maintenance of railway infrastructure, citing the potential of petrochemical derailment and the loss of life. The Secretary General of the railway union of Yucatán, has criticized Ferrocarriles Chiapas-Mayab for the decline of speed from thirty-five kilometers per hour to ten kilometers per hour. The National Chamber of the transformation industry cited that the railway derails 200 times per year on average.[15]

Loss of concession

By 2016, The Secretary of Communications and Transportation (SCT) grew impatient about the deterioration of the railroad, as well at the migrant crises in which Central American migrants were riding on top of the trains.[16][17] By 23 August 2016, The Secretary of Communications and Transportation revoked the concession to Viabilis Holdings. Citing that, "For reasons of interest, public utility and national security" as the reason it was revoking the concession.[18] Viabilis Holdings was given 60 days to remove and dispose of property, equipment and facilities owned off the railway.[19]

One of the shareholders in Ferrocarriles Chiapas Mayab, Pedro Topete Vargas, denounced the revocation of its concession as, "an act of revenge" from Secretary of Communications and Transportation Ruiz Esparza.[20] Due to litigation of his other company, Infraiber, towards SCT favorite OHL, which Vargas has accused of corruption and favoritism.[8][21]

Railway rehabilitation

In September 2014, The Secretary of Telecommunications and Transportation announced that the federal government was going to invest 6 billion pesos to rehabilitate the railway[22] in part to deter Central American Immigrants from hitch-hiking on the train,[23] as well as to increase rail cargo speed in the region.[24]

See also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ferrocarriles Chiapas-Mayab.

References
  1. "Southeastern Railroad ceases operations, strands thousands of Central American Immigrants in Mexico. – Latin America > Mexico from AllBusiness.com". 29 August 2007. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
  2. Central America going nowhere. Railway Gazette International August 2007.
  3. "'La Bestia' reiniciará operaciones en el tramo Tapachula-Arriaga". 28 January 2014.
  4. "Regresará el Ferrocarril de Chiapas en marzo".
  5. "'Me apena lo que hizo Brenda (Ruiz) en mi cumpleaños': Mariana Gómez del Campo | IMPACTO". Archived from the original on 11 September 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  6. "'La Bestia' tendrá otro operador".
  7. "Dan el Mayab a Viabilis : Reforma : Negocios". mediasolutions.com.mx. Archived from the original on 11 September 2016.
  8. "Concesión de Ferrocarriles Chiapas-Mayab es cancelada y regresa a manos del gobierno federal".
  9. "SCT rescata a Ferrocarriles Chiapas Mayab".
  10. "Unen operación de trenes Chiapas Mayab y del Istmo de Tehuantepec".
  11. "SCT no indemnizará a exconcesionario de 'La Bestia'".
  12. "Mexico reclaims migrant-shuttling 'The Beast' railroad concession". Reuters. 23 August 2016.
  13. "Rail News – Genesee & Wyoming to terminate Ferrocarriles Chiapas-Mayab operations. For Railroad Career Professionals".
  14. McManus, Lowell G. "The Mexican Railways". Retrieved 26 January 2011.
  15. "Denuncian trabajadores mal estado en red ferroviaria de 'La Bestia'".
  16. "Migrant-shuttling 'The Beast' may be crawling to a halt". 24 August 2016.
  17. "Latino". Fox News. 14 March 2022.
  18. "Tribuna del Yaqui". tribuna.com.mx. Archived from the original on 25 August 2016.
  19. "Aristegui Noticias".
  20. "Los ecos de la bestia".
  21. "El conflicto por el Ferrocarril Chiapas-Mayab alcanza a OHL e Infraiber". 27 August 2016.
  22. "Anuncia Gerardo Ruiz 6 mil millones de pesos para rehabilitar la vía férrea Chiapas-Mayab".
  23. "Mexico reclaims migrant-shuttling 'The Beast' railroad concession".
  24. "Interjet asegura que el 3 de noviembre reiniciará operaciones".
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