El Tapatío, Mexico's Iconic Train Dreams of a Comeback
Mexico's iconic El Tapatío train might chug back soon! Private companies eye reviving classic routes, with El Tapatío connecting Mexico City and Guadalajara in Pullman luxury. President AMLO champions rail revival, but feasibility studies and construction could delay the grand return.
El Tapatío. The name evokes sepia-toned nostalgia, the clickety-clack of progress, and the clinking of martini glasses in a bygone era. For two glorious decades, this Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México (FNM) starlet whisked passengers from the bustling capital to Guadalajara, the “pearl of the west,” in plush Pullman elegance. But like a lovelorn señorita jilted by the fickle winds of privatization, El Tapatío faded into the sunset in the 1990s.
But fret not, amigos! Just like that mariachi band playing a surprise encore, it seems El Tapatío might be waltzing back onto the platform. Our man in infrastructure, Jorge Nuño Lara, is dropping hints like rose petals, saying Ferrosur, Canadian Pacific, and Kansas City are all vying for a dance with our steel-wheeled señorita.