Nathan Associates conducted a prefeasibility study of a commuter rail service proposed for the Apizaco-Puebla corridor in the State of Tlaxcala. Economic growth in Tlaxcala and the nearby city of Puebla has increased the number of cars and buses traveling along the corridor.

Running along the 40-km freight line from Apizaco to Puebla, the proposed service would be safer, quicker, cleaner, more comfortable, and more reliable than current bus services and would alleviate congestion.

Our study was conducted to standards acceptable to multilateral financial institutions such as the World Bank and, to attract private developers, included a forecast of potential passenger rail demand, an assessment of the suitability of the existing freight track and rail infrastructure, and cost estimates for upgrading rail infrastructure and purchasing rolling stock.

The feasibility study proved instrumental in attracting investor interest and a public-private partnership for rail service development is now being pursued.