Querétaro, Qro.: a
chronology of railroad development: part 3
1951 (September 23)
The Distrito de Irapuato (Mariscala to Irapuato) of Ferrocarriles
Nacionales de México was renamed Distrito de Cortázar. (Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México División
de Querétaro, Suplemento
No.1 al Horario No.4, 23 de Septiembre de 1951)
1956 (June
27) Though not directly affecting Querétaro,
expansion of NdeM’s México terminal area caused the Distrito
de San Juan del Río (Línea A) and Distrito de Huichapan (Línea B) to be
shortened to Huehuetoca (Estado de México) to La Griega on their respective
routes. However, the south end of the División de Querétaro where it joined the
División de México, Subdivisión Terminal del Valle de México remained for
administrative purposes at Lechería, Estado de México. (Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México
División de México, Subdivisión Terminal del Valle de
México Horario No.9, 27 de Junio 1956 [Division de Querétaro Horario
No.5 was issued the same day])
late 1962 -
early 1963 Parques Industriales de Querétaro, beginning
with the factories Compacto and Industria del Hierro was established in the
northern part of Querétaro. A spur to the factory of Link-Belt Speeder de
México, S.A. was also part of this complex. The railroad spur serving them from
Línea B near kilometer 266.9, was probably built at the same time. (González y González, Transporte en Querétaro en el Siglo XX, p.87, 118, 165, 167;
Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México División de Querétaro Horario No.8, 29 de
Noviembre de 1976)
late 1960s -
early 1970s Parque Industrial Benito Juárez was
established, to the northwest of urban Querétaro. The 6 kilometer railroad
spur, terminating in a loop encircling a hill, was built some 800 meters west
of and parallel to Avenida Cinco de Febrero. Now referred to as “Vía Industrias
Benito Juárez”, as of early 2003 serves the factories of Industria Envasadora
de Querétaro [Coca-Cola], Mabe Refrigeradores, Cia. Vidriera, Vitro American
National Can, Spicer-Cardanes, Forjas Spicer, Tremec, Almacenadora Mercader,
Kosafil, Kosa [quimicas], and Servilamina Summit Mexicana. The last several
hundred meters of the Vía Industrias, clockwise around the loop from the
Servilamina spur to the junction switch south of the hill, is out of
service. (González y González, Transporte en Querétaro en el Siglo XX,
p.88; observations by Todd Minsk. February 2003)
1970
(October 20) New Línea BC placed in service
as Distrito de Pozo Blanco of División de San Luis, between Ahorcado (junction
with Línea A), crossing Línea B near Viborillas, to Villa Reyes (SLP) kilometer
BC-180.0/B-485.0. (Distrito de Pozo Blanco continued as Línea B to San Luis
Potosí, superceding Distrito de Río Laja.) As part of the same project, the
57.5 kilometer Línea BD was constructed from Rinconcillo (B-328.1) to Ing.
Buchanan Lopez (BC-97.8) and Línea B taken up from Rinconcillo to Villa Reyes.
This removed from Querétaro city most of the traffic moving to/from San Luis
Potosí and other points to the north.
(Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México División de San Luis Suplemento No.1
al Horario No.7, 20 de Octubre 1970)
circa 1974 Studies commenced on remedies to augment the
capacities of Líneas A and B between México and the Querétaro area, a zone that
had become a traffic bottleneck. This project eventually became known as the
“Doble Vía Electrificada México-Querétaro” and took the form of a new double
track railroad closely parallel to, and on some segments a reconstruction of,
Línea A. (México. Secretaría de
Comunicaciones y Transportes, Vía Férrea
México-Querétaro, p.60; Middleton, William D. “Mexican National Railways is
back on the track”, Railway Age,
October 11 1976, p.34-38)
circa 1979
to early 1980s Construction of the “Doble Vía
Férrea México-Querétaro” (electrification was to come later), took place. The
precise stages of development are not detailed here, for lack of sources. The
changes affecting the Querétaro area, geographically from east to west (railroad
direction south to north), can be summarized as follows. From east of Ahorcado,
(to be precise from kilometer A-203.3 near Chintepec) to estación La Griega, a
second track was built parallel to Línea A. The two tracks were redesignated
Líneas AQ and BQ, though it is not clear which was the original Línea A and
which is its newer twin. Yard tracks at Ahorcado were modified. From estación
La Griega to the vicinity of Calle Palomas (Colonia Alamos) in Querétaro
(approximately kilometer B-266), Líneas AQ and BQ were continued on new
construction, generally parallel to Línea B but on an alignment of more
favorable gradient and curvature. Substantial earthwork, including deep
cuttings and three cut-and-cover tunnels, were involved. The new tracks AQ-BQ
are south of Línea B from estación La Griega west to kilometer
B-256.94/AQ-BQ-232+820. At that
location, a few hundred meters west of the pueblo of Saldarriaga, the new route
bridges existing Línea B and continues on its north side the remainder of the
distance. A connection track was installed at kilometer B-264.9 with Línea AQ
at kilometer 240.8 (west of Hércules km B-264.1), and Línea B removed from km
264.9 to approximately B-266.1. From Calle Palomas, west through the Querétaro
terminal all the way to Las Adjuntas, Línea B was double tracked (in part
apparently converted from yard track) and redesignated Líneas AQ and BQ. From
the west (railroad north) end of Las Adjuntas (kilometer B-280.0) the “vía
de conexión que une las vías principales de las distritos Querétaro y Cortázar”
(probably the former Ferrocarril Central Mexicano Línea A) to Mariscala
connection was upgraded to main track status, and with parallel Línea B also
designated Líneas AQ and BQ; it is presumed the “vía de conexión” was the south
track of the pair. At the east (railroad south) switch of Conexión Mariscala
(kilometer AQ-BQ-262.1/B-285.9), a point later designated Obrajuelos, Línea BQ
merges into Línea AQ, and Línea B resumes (kilometer AQ-BQ-261 to 262 is only
about 800 meters, in an adjustment of the measurements). This is the west (railroad
north) end of the “Doble Vía Férrea México-Querétaro”. A few meters farther
west along single-track Línea B, Línea A diverges towards Irapuato and Ciudad
Juárez. A new yard (Querétaro Carga) was built along the north side of Líneas
AQ-BQ from kilometer 246.7 (a few meters west of Avenida Cinco de Febrero; most
of the yard tracks begin at the connection switch of Vía Industrias Benito
Juárez) to “Entrada Norte Querétaro Carga”, kilometer AQ-BQ-251.5. (Apart from
the lead track, the yard ends at Colonia Santa María Magdalena, km
AQ-BQ-249.8). New highway and pedestrian overpasses were installed at several
places along the length of the route.
(Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México Comisión de Horarios, “Principales
Caracteristicas del Desvío entre San Juan del Río y Chintepec, del Distrito de
San Juan del Río” undated document supplementing División de Querétaro Horario
No.8, circa 1977-78; Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México División de Querétaro
Horario No.9, 21 de Abril de 1987; Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México
[Ferrocarril del Noreste] División Querétaro Suplemento No.1 al Horario No.9,
17 de Noviembre de 1995; observations by Todd Minsk, November 2002 and February
2003)
1980
(December 22) As part of the project Doble Vía
Férrea México-Querétaro, the former Distrito de San Juan del Río (Huehuetoca to
La Griega) was renamed Distrito de Tula.
(Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México División de Querétaro Suplemento
No.1 al Horario No.8, 22 de Diciembre de 1980)
1982
(September) through 1983 NdeM purchased 39 model E60C
electric locomotives, numbered EA001 to EA039, built by General Electric
Company at Erie (Pennsylvania) USA. Delivery was delayed several months. In
1984 the units were moved to Salinas (SLP) for storage pending erection of the
electrification on the México-Querétaro line.
(Will, Dick “Annual Motive Power Review”, Extra 2200 South magazine, Issue 81
(July-August-September 1984), p.16-17; México. Secretaría de
Comunicaciones y Transportes, Vía Férrea
México-Querétaro, p.150)
1986 (June
2) The “Doble Vía Férrea México-Querétaro” was
put in service along 200 of its 245 kilometers; the incomplete areas
unspecified. Plans were to extend the double tracking a further 89 kilometers
to Irapuato; construction commenced but apparently was never completed. (México. Secretaría de Comunicaciones y
Transportes, Vía Férrea México-Querétaro,
p.6, 65)
1987 (April
21) Further track redesignations took place. The
Distrito de Tula (Líneas AQ and BQ, Huehuetoca to estación La Griega) was
renamed Distrito de Aragón. The Distrito de Querétaro (La Griega to Escobedo)
was rerouted along the new Líneas AQ and BQ from estación La Griega to
kilometer AQ-BQ-245.1, which was the existing Querétaro freight yard, newly
identified as “Querétaro”. With this change, the passenger station at kilometer
AQ-BQ-244.5 went unrecognized in the timetable. Línea B remained in service
west of Querétaro. At this date, Líneas AQ and BQ did not yet extend farther
west, and the new yard Querétaro Carga was not yet built. Línea B from estación
La Griega west to the connection with Línea AQ west of Hércules was no longer
in the timetable. It may have been out of service, or treated as yard
track. (Ferrocarriles Nacionales de
México División de Querétaro Horario No.9, 21 de Abril de 1987)
1989
(December 15) The Distrito de Pozo Blanco
(Línea BC at Ahorcado) was redesignated as the Distrito de Melchor with the
termini unchanged, Ahorcado to San Luis Potosí.
(Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México Division de San Luis Horario No.9,
15 de Diciembre de 1989)
circa 1988
to early 1990s Electrification in the
form of 25,000 volt 50hz catenary was installed over Líneas AQ and BQ from
México, terminating west of Querétaro at kilometer AQ-BQ-250+600. In addition
to the two main tracks, certain yard tracks at Ahorcado and Querétaro Carga
were equipped, as well as about 800 meters of Línea BC at its separation from
Línea BQ at the west (railroad north) end of Ahorcado. The construction and
maintenance base for the Querétaro area was at San Juan del Río. Electricity
was supplied by the national grid of Comisión Federal de Electricidad, and
three of the substations were located between Ahorcado and Querétaro. The
electric locomotives EA001 to EA039 did not appear in the tonnage ratings for
the División de Querétaro as of 1987.
(México. Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes, Vía Férrea México-Querétaro, p.153, 157;
“Mexico Redresses Neglect”, International
Railway Journal, v.27 no.10, October 1987, p.38-42; observations by Todd
Minsk, November 2002 and February 2003; Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México
División de Querétaro Horario No.9, 21 de Abril de 1987)
1990
(December 28) A three month test period began
on the electrification of Líneas AQ-BQ between San Juan del Río and
Ahorcado. (Mexico News [railfan newsletter], June 12, 1991)
by 1992 The eastern part of Parques Industriales de
Querétaro had been converted into a sequestered residential development named
Claustros del Parque. In the western part, the factory of Industria del Hierro also closed, but unknown if at the same time.
By late 2002, the railroad spur from kilometer Juá-Mor-242.7 was disconnected
and out of service, yet remaining intact east of Avenida Corregidora. However,
the spur was still recognized by Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México as late as
1995, identified as the property of Banco Internacional Inmobilario S.A.,
though this note was being repeated unchanged since at least 1976. (Guía Roji, S.A. de C.V. Ciudad de Querétaro [map, escala 1:15,000] 1992; Ferrocarriles
Nacionales de México División de Querétaro Horario No.8, 29 de Noviembre de
1976; Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México [Ferrocarril del Noreste] División
Querétaro Suplemento No.1 al Horario No.9, 17 de Noviembre de 1995; observations
by Todd Minsk, November 2002)
1994
(February 14) The “Doble Vía Electrificada
México-Querétaro” electrification of Líneas AQ-BQ was officially put into
service between México (Buenavista) and Querétaro with an inaugural train.
Unfortunately, it was never particularly successful. Among other complications,
Querétaro was not a locomotive or crew terminal for through service.
Terminating the catenary there introduced logistical difficulties, though early
plans had foreseen the electrification extending to Irapuato on Línea A and to
San Luis Potosí on Línea BC from Ahorcado.
(Hernandez Lecanda, Ricardo “Re: Original NdeM electrification
questions” Mexlist [Internet
discussion group] message no.1141, January 9, 2000; “NdeM: Eliminating the
bottleneck”, Railway Age, March 31
1980, p.12-14)
1995 (July
28) Operation of CTC (Control Centralizado de Tráfico) began from Teoloyucan (kilometer AQ-BQ-36+175) to Ahorcado (kilometer
AQ-BQ-215+394) on the east edge of the Querétaro area, from the dispatch center
located at Terminal Valle de México. Another dispatch center controlling
Ahorcado northward was built at Querétaro, in a new building immediately east
of the old passenger station. (SCT/FNM Información de Vía: Boletín Información
Interna, no.39, Julio 1995, p.8; México. Secretaría de Comunicaciones y
Transportes, Vía Férrea México-Querétaro,
p.128, 152; observations by Todd Minsk, November 2002)
1995 (November 13) Preparatory to issuing
concessions for privatization, Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México was divided
into regions, officially announced by publication in the Diario Oficial de la
Federación on this date. The Querétaro area was affected. To Ferrocarril del
Noreste went Línea Juárez (formerly Línea AQ) and Línea Morelos (formerly Línea
BQ), Buenavista to Mariscala [Obrajuelos]; Línea B, Mariscala to the north; and
Línea BC, Ahorcado to the north. To Ferrocarril Pacífico-Norte went Línea A,
Mariscala to the north; and Línea B, Huehuetoca to km B-265+015 [west of
Hércules]. In effect, for this part of the system, this action reversed the
1909 merger of Ferrocarril Central Mexicano with Ferrocarril Nacional de
México. [The regionalization plan appears to have been announced earlier in an
issue of SCT/FNM Información de Vía:
Boletín Información Interna, that in the sequence should be number 41,
Septiembre 1995, but the issue number and date are suppressed, suggesting that
it was releasing information prematurely.]
(Moreno Quintero, Eric “Privatización ferroviaria mexicana: Fechas,
hechos y cifras 95-98”, Instituto Mexicano del Transporte boletín Notas, no.45 marzo de 1999;
Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México “Esquima de reestructuración del Sistema
Ferroviario Nacional”, version of 8 Enero 1998)
1995 (November 17) Líneas AQ and BQ were
redesignated over their entire lengths “Línea Juárez” and “Línea Morelos”
respectively, to eliminate confusion over track identities during radio
dispatching. This was precipitated by two tragic collisions near Querétaro in
which several railroaders perished and six of the electric locomotives
destroyed. Both were in an area of steep-walled rock cuts, the first at
kilometer BQ-236 on
1997 (March 31) FNM enumerated their train
dispatcher positions in an internal document. The Querétaro dispatch center was
shared between the Ferrocarril Noreste and the Pacífico-Norte, with four
positions and one “relief” for each, although the Pacífico-Norte had three
chief dispatchers at Querétaro while the Noreste had none. The rest of the
Querétaro division dispatch force was based at Terminal Valle de México, also
shared between the two railroads, and this was the site of Ferrocarril
Noreste’s chiefs. Línea BC, as part of the División de San Luis, was controlled
from Monterrey. (Ferrocarriles
Nacionales de México Gerencia de Transporte “Relación de Plazas de Despachadores
y Jefes de Despachadores Asignados a los Centros de Despacho del Sistema
Ferroviario Nacional”, 31 de Marzo de 1997)
1997 (June
23) Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM)
began operations of the Ferrocarril Noreste, having been awarded the first of
the regional concessions December 2, 1996. Operations around Querétaro were
structured this way: The Distrito de Tula was formed by the Líneas Juárez and
Morelos from México [Buenavista] to Ahorcado, Línea BC Ahorcado to Villa Reyes (SLP), and
continuing to San Luis Potosí. The Distrito de Mariscala comprised the north
end of Líneas Juárez and Morelos from Ahorcado to Obrajuelos (operated under
yard limits) and Línea B Obrajuelos to Escobedo. Electric operations were
discontinued by the end of 1997, and the E60C locomotives returned to storage,
some in the Ahorcado yard, where they remained several years before disposal.
It was reported that the Líneas Juárez-Morelos had the catenary raised over one
track for increased overhead clearance, and the same undertaken for the other
track, but apparently never completed, and catenary was removed from both
tracks north of Huehuetoca by an inspecific date a few years later. With
transfer of a large part of the División Querétaro to TFM control, its trackage
that had been assigned to Ferrocarril Pacífico-Norte was redesignated División
Irapuato: Línea B, Distrito Huichapan from Huehuetoca to estación La Griega;
Línea B, Distrito La Cañada from estación La Griega to Conexión Norte Distrito
La Cañada; and Línea A, Distrito Cortázar from Mariscala to Irapuato. An
operating timetable was printed for the División Irapuato, but may never have
been put into effect; it is undated, marked only “Autorización de la Dirección
General de Transporte Ferroviario de la Secretaría de Comunicaciones y
Transportes, con oficio 120.204-531/96, del 12 de diciembre de 1996”. (Moreno Quintero, Eric “Privatización
ferroviaria mexicana: Fechas, hechos y cifras 95-98”, Instituto Mexicano del
Transporte boletín Notas, no.45 marzo
de 1999; Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana proof copy of employee timetable,
undated; “Big three lead rail renaissance”, Railway
Gazette International, May 1999, p.304-312; McManus, Lowell G. “E60C
update” Mexlist [Internet discussion
group] message no.4086, February 16, 2002; Escobar, Sergio “Re: [MEXLIST] Doble
vía en México” Mexlist [Internet
discussion group] message no.3622, August 29, 2001; Ferrocarriles Nacionales de
México [Ferrocarril Pacífico-Norte] División Irapuato Horario No.1, sin fecha
circa 1996)
1998
(February 19) Ferrocarril Mexicano (“Ferromex”)
had been awarded the concession to the FNM Ferrocarril Pacífico-Norte on June
27, 1997, almost the same date that TFM assumed operations of the Ferrocarril
Noreste. February 19, 1998, was the inauguration of Ferromex operations. It was
over a year before they issued an operating timetable for their División Centro
México, whose territory extended from Huehuetoca (Estado de México) through
Querétaro all the way to Torreón (Coahuila). Ferromex combined what had been
FNM’s Distritos Huichapan and La Cañada into the prolonged Distrito Huichapan
from Huehuetoca to kilometer B-265.015 west (railroad north) of Hércules, a
point renamed Conexión Norte Distrito Huichapan from Conexión Norte Distrito La
Cañada. This district was dispatched using CTC from Huehuetoca to Viborillas
(kilometer B-244.450), yard limits from there to estación La Griega (kilometer
B-251.415), and “estandar” [train orders] the rest of the way. From Conexión
Norte Distrito Huichapan to Mariscala connection, Ferromex was granted trackage
rights over the TFM Líneas Juárez-Morelos between those points, returning to
its own Línea A at kilometer A-263.922 (Mariscala connection) as the Distrito
Cortázar with CTC to Irapuato, kilometer A-352.8. Ferromex also gained trackage
rights over TFM on Líneas Juárez-Morelos from Huehuetoca north to Conexión
Norte Distrito Huichapan, and on Línea BC from Viborillas connection (kilometer
BC-8.756) to the Saltillo area. (Moreno
Quintero, Eric “Privatización ferroviaria mexicana: Fechas, hechos y cifras
95-98”, Instituto Mexicano del Transporte boletín Notas, no.45 marzo de 1999; Ferrocarril Mexicano División Centro
México Horario No.1, 11 de Mayo de 1999)
2001 (circa June) TFM
found itself with a short segment of track that it described as “redundant”
that they planned to sell back to the Mexican government “for inclusion in
another railroad concession”. This developed to be the part of TFM’s Distrito
de Mariscala between Hércules and Mariscala, that was reported to be
transferred to Ferromex, giving the latter company control of its route through
Querétaro and avoiding reliance on trackage rights over TFM. However, TFM
retains control of the yard and station operations at Querétaro. (Kansas City Southern Industries Annual Report 1998, p.14, 74; McManus, Lowell G. “Misplaced
branch line” Mexlist [Internet discussion group]
message no.2957, June 21, 2001; observations by Todd Minsk, November 2002 and
February 2003)