Hitachi Rail Wins €168m Contract for Saltillo–Nuevo Laredo Passenger Corridor in Mexico

Japan's Hitachi Rail has won a €168m contract to supply signalling and telecommunications systems for a 396 km passenger rail corridor linking Saltillo with Nuevo Laredo on the US border in Mexico.

The contract forms part of the Mexican government's rail revival programme, which involves constructing additional tracks alongside existing freight railways on two main corridors. The Saltillo–Nuevo Laredo corridor will operate as a dedicated passenger route parallel to established freight infrastructure, enabling passenger services without interference from goods traffic.

Hitachi Rail will provide the full suite of railway systems for the 396 km corridor, including signalling equipment that controls train movements and telecommunications infrastructure that links control centres with lineside equipment and onboard systems. The contract scope covers system design, supply, installation and commissioning across the entire alignment from Saltillo in Coahuila state to the US border crossing at Nuevo Laredo in Tamaulipas.

The Saltillo–Nuevo Laredo project strengthens Hitachi Rail's position in Mexico, where the company has been expanding its signalling and systems portfolio. The corridor will serve both domestic intercity passengers and cross-border traffic connecting Mexico's industrial heartland with the Texan rail network. Construction of the additional passenger tracks next to the freight lines is already underway, with the signalling and telecommunications installations scheduled to follow the civil engineering programme.