A Chinese railroad in Mexico

A consortium led by China Railway Construction Corporation – the sole bidder - has won a contract to build a high-speed train between Mexico City and Queretaro.

CRCC will invest 59 billion pesos –$4,4 billion – in the project, including construction, rolling stock, signaling and electromechanical works.

The consortium includes Mexican companies GIA (only in Spanish) and Prodemex (only in Spanish).

The electric train will travel 210 kilometers at speeds of up to 300 kilometers per hour and will transport 23,000 passengers daily, said a spokesman for the transport ministry.

Travel time between the two cities will be 90 minutes, half of current bus times.

The Queretero line will eventually reach Monterrey, while two other lines would link Mexico City with Toluca and Guadalajara.

The link between the Federal District and Queretaro should start operating in by 2016.

The project involves the replacement of existing tracks, which will not support high-speed train traffic, as well as the construction of 37 overpasses and 11 tunnels.

A return on investment would come from fares paid by passengers, who make some 6 million trips per year, based on current demand.

The southern terminal would be the Suburban Line’s Buenavista Station, which in addition is connected to the Metro and Metrobus.

The project may need to expropriate 100 kilometers of right-of-way.

China’s second-largest construction company, CRCC is building the first metro in Mecca, as well as the new stadium for Milan Internazionale, at a cost of E250 million.

CRCC, which is owned by the state, in 2011 reported earnings of $1 billion on revenues of $65 billion.

Canadian railcar maker Bombardier has a Mexican operation, as does Germany’s Siemens, a leading producer of electric engines and systems.