Mexico rail rival to Panama Canal opens

The government hopes that the $2.8bn Tehuantepec isthmus corridor, linking the Pacific and Atlantic oceans at Mexico’s narrowest point, will provide an alternative to the congested Panama Canal

U.S. 
MEXICO
GULF OF MEXICO
PANAMA
500km 300 miles

Panama Canal:
Crossings reduced to 25 ships per day – from average of 39 – due to severe drought

ISTHMUS OF TEHUANTEPEC INTEROCEANIC CORRIDOR (CIIT)
Length: 308km railway line
Opening: Dec 2023 – single-track line for passenger and cargo trains. Fully operational by 2033
Project: Includes renovation of ports at Coatzacoalcos and Salina Cruz, plus development of industrial parks close to transport hubs
Transit time: 6.5 hours, excluding PANAMA loading time. It takes 8-10 hours on 80km Panama Canal

GULF OF MEXICO
PUEBLA 
OAXACA
VERACRUZ
Coatzacoalcos
TABASCO
MEXICO
CHIAPAS
CAMPECHE
Salina Cruz
PACIFIC OCEAN
GUATEMALA
Industrial park planned
50km 30 miles

Project forms part of gambit by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to draw investment to poorer south

Sources: CIIT, Mexico Government, FT, AFP Picture: Getty Images
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