The Mexican train known as "The Beast", will enter onto Guatemalan soil through Tecún Uman, where it will receive cargo to be transported from Central America to Mexico and the United States. Results of a study undertaken as part of the project indicate that the costs of railway land freight transport could be reduced by between 30% and 40%.

The operation will be carried out by Ferrovías de Guatemala, whose authorities informed Prensalibre.com that "... the goal is to activate the line so that in the next five years several sections in the country can be expanded using the profits generated from this first phase. "

The freight train will reach Ferrocarriles de Guatemala´s (FEGUA) terminal in Tecún Uman, where it operates a container yard.

"... Mynor Castillo, manager of Ferrovías, said that in the first phase of the freight train´s operation they will be working under the Tax Administration´s free zone scheme, but when operations and flows of movement are extended, they will ask the institution for a customs procedure. "

Source: prensalibre.com

More on this topic

Will Guatemala-Mexico Freight Train Be Reactivated?

March 2019

The long-awaited railway connection between the two countries depends on the rehabilitation of the Doctor Rodolfo Robles bridge in Ayutla, San Marcos, which would be done this year.

According to the Guatemalan Ministry of Communications, under current conditions the bridge cannot support the load of a locomotive and using that section would be a high risk.

Guatemala - Mexico Freight Train Project Postponed

September 2016

The project that intended to connect the Tecun Uman San Marcos line with the line belonging to the Compañía de Ferrocarriles Chiapas-Mayab de México will not be viable before 2017.

The initial idea put forward by President Maldonado in 2015 was that the Mexican train known as "La Bestia" (The Beast), would enter Guatemalan soil through Tecun Uman, where it would receive cargo to be transported from Central America to Mexico and the US.

Guatemala - Mexico Railway Interconnection

March 2016

Although the start date had been was agreed as December 2015, it has now been announced that construction of the roads that connect will Tecun Uman with Chiapas, Mexico, will start in April.

In October 2015 the company Ferrovías announced that on December 15 it would start the interconnection with the Mexican Railway Company Chiapas-Mayab, with the aim of "... activating that line so that in the next five years several sections in the country can be extended with profits generated from this first phase. "

State of Guatemala unsuccessful in stopping Ferrovias lawsuit

November 2008

Ciadi, based in Washington, rejected the request by the State of Guatemala to suspend the suit for $65 million that was presented by Ferrovias in 2007.

By rejecting the objection, the International Center for the Resolution of Investment Disputes (Ciadi) asserts that it has the jurisdiction to handle the case in which the RailRoad Development Corporation (RDC), the majority shareholder in Ferrovias, is suing the Government of Guatemala.