National Tourism Fund Fonatur has confirmed that two groups have submitted tenders to supply up to 42 diesel, electro-diesel and electric trainsets for the Tren Maya project, with a winning bidder due to be announced on May 26.

The contract covers maintenance of the fleet to operate the two 1 435 mm gauge routes that Fonatur is developing on the Yucatán Peninsula. as well as the supply and installation of control and communications systems with a control centre located at Mérida.

According to Fonatur, the lower bid valued at 36∙56 pesos has been submitted by a consortium led by Alstom Transport México with Bombardier Transportation México, Gami Ingeniería e Instalaciones, Construcción Urales and Construcciones Urales Procesos Industriales. The rival offer of 37∙45bn pesos was submitted by a consortium of CAF México and Rubau México. Both groups have local assembly plants.

A third group consisting of CRRC, Thales, Grupo Cocomex and ADM is understood to have withdrawn from tendering because it considered that some of the contract stipulations favoured its rivals.

The contract includes design and construction of depots to service and maintain the trains which will operate on the first five sections of line from Palenque to Escárcega, Escárcega to Calkiní, Calkiní to Izamal via Mérida, Izamal to Cancún and Cancún to Tulum.

The 690 km between Mérida, Cancún and Chetumal on the Caribbean coast is to be electrified, as this is expected to be the busiest part of the network; there is provision for the rest to be wired at a later date. Fonatur signed an agreement the Comisión Federal de Electricidad for the supply of power last September.

The trains are intended to operate medium-distance and long-distance services, with each set required to offer a capacity for 300 to 500 passengers in five to seven cars. Maximum speed will be 160 km/h. A further 27 trainsets may be required for the final two sections from Tulum to Bacalar and Escarcega.

Under a three-year contract signed at the end of 2020 a consortium formed of Ineco, RENFE and DB Engineering & Consulting is to supervise the manufacturing and commissioning of the fleet, as well as providing other supervisory services.