People seem to forget that Mexico is in North America, and it's honestly probably the leader in NA transit, at least in CDMX. I love this Mexico trip! It's awesome.
@@Thom-TRAis has always been an issue, many people of other states always complain about México being so centralism. And there are state that give so much money back to the Federal government but received less in return
Yeah outside Mexico City public transportation is so so, Guadalajara and Monterrey are doing amazing things, and cities like Merida and Leon are doing some work but outside these 4 cities you have huge cities like Tijuana or Juarez where their public transportation are old American school buses … sadly public transportation in Mexico is not standardized
The incoming government plans to build twice as much as new railroads as the previous one which was already something extraordinary but most of it will be done outside Mexico City but if in Mexico City we could have this same train connecting it to Cuernavaca, Puebla and Querétaro then it would be more than amazing.
It's almost certain that it will get to Pachuca. Then there's a big chance that before 2030 the train to Querétaro will be operating. There have also been talks about expanding the Pachuca train down to Puebla. Cuernavaca is likely to not have a train anytime soon... Since the mountains and huge elevation differences would require a massive investment.
They will only refurbish and adapt old railways for communal use. This project was surrounded by extensive construction delays as well as corruption. Don’t even mention the Tren Maya 😅. At least it’s finally functional after so many years
This line reminds me of the Skyline in Honolulu, with both being modern elevated lines first built outside of the main city center, with extensions in the works. El Insurgente is also a cool name for a train line.
When the first station in Mexico City opened last month it was complete hit. So you are right when the whole system is operating by December of this year… it’s going to be something else. 👏🏻 🇲🇽
@@Thom-TRA when you are young, everything is "relatively new" :-))) You do have a lot of international exposure (a biography to write when you retire 😁). That exposure gives your content a very nice twist. Good luck!
And they said jazz was dead, haha. More seriously I'm really impressed by what you've shared here. Having heard about this project only in the abstract, it's exciting to see for real. I also think it's great you highlight Father Hidalgo
Now that they open the section of Santa Fe (mexico city) the frequency is lower and the speed will increase until they finish the whole line sadly 😭 I just saw some clips on the new section and the views are so beautiful
I can see SOOO many commuter/regional rail routes in the US and Canada adopting this model. Hell, my native Philadelphia alone would take a lot of notes, alongside building out new lines along this model. Something like this, the Melbourne Skyrail upgrades and such would be fantastic.
First of all, I must complement you on your Spanish pronunciation. The history lesson you included was also well done. I agree with you that once the system is connected to Observatorio, the train will have high ridership since Santa Fe has no other rail transit. The section Observatorio-Santa Fe will probably be packed. I imagine the approx 20 mile section Lerma-Santa Fe is where you will see the highest speeds. Line 3 of Mexico City's Cablebus will connect to El Insurgente at Vasco de Quiroga from Constituyentes Metro station. It's great to see Mexico City investing in inter-city as well as suburban rail transit. It is sorely needed in the continent's largest metro area. Ugh! The music on the train is very annoying. I prefer quiet trains or at the very least background music that stays in the background. This music is intrusive. You're right, I can't think of an American city that has created a new commuter rail line in the last 40 years that didn't use existing RR lines, which can inhibit frequencies due to being owned by the freight railroads. I've often thought that new commuter rail lines could be built along freeway corridors which would reach key markets, reach dense urban and suburban areas, and offer circumferential routes.
It sounds almost as bad as the Atlanta airport's outside train - it would not stop loudly giving directions, notices and information, on repeat, the entire journey (and I was riding at 5am 😢)
I will ride this train just to enjoy the views (idk if you’ve seen the images but the sight of the train passing next to the skyscrapers in Santa Fe is amazing), but I am so happy that it will primarily help commuters get to their destination and that it’s not just a tourist scam or something. I wish we built many more lines like this from nearby cities to CDMX and also one between Monterrey and Saltillo. Saludos from Mexico!!
@@Thom-TRA Hey man thanks for replying and especially thanks for taking the time to cover an important new infrastructure in my country. Can't wait for the review once the full line opens!
This is great! New electric elevated suburban rail is a great way of alleviating road congestion. The 4-4 seating and super loud jazz could use some work, however. . .
I know just as ironic as Donald t-Rump he always screams "make america great" MAGA but on the other hand he mass produces all the merchandise he sells in China by Chinese workers with Chinese raw materials and by Chinese manufacturing companies more than an ironic thing it's a show for the masses and it happens all over the world more often than you think
Mexican here, keep in mind that this and the airport one are the only 2 conmuter trains that we have in the entire country, american ones migh not be the better ones but at least they are common.
Are you going to make video on Tren Interoceánico? It's quite interesting project, with little coverage in english, especially when compared to Tren Maya.
@@Thom-TRA Understandable, it's quite long way from Mexico City. But thanks for covering Mexico City transit for us who are too lazy to learn spanish and too broke to go anywhere! :D
I'm glad Tren Interoceánico gave the BR HST [Class 43 plus MKIII's] a second home. Despite being 48 years old. They still hold the World record for Diesel hauled trains. The Mexican track and signalling won't challenge them to this speed but links between Kernow, GB especially Long Rock where one of the HST depots is and Mexico led to these being given retirement or second life in Mexico. The pub in Long Rock is called "The Mexico Inn'" and was the village near Penzans where Mexican copper miners lived in the late 1800
In many ways, El Insurgente reminds me of the Delhi RRTS, which I can only describe as "Interurban Level Extreme". They are planning 3 lines for a connection across the National Capital Region, with specifications that are quite similar to El Insurgente (though the routes are significantly longer).
Thank you for this great video ! The line clearly has great potential, and those CAF electric units are very good indeed. They are very similar to CAF units in Barcelona and Madrid, and that has to be a recommendation ! Looking forward to your next ride !
It does not have a bathroom because it's a public transport train, not a tourist one. Toluca and CDMX are pretty close to each other, which is why people from Toluca go to work in CDMX. By the way, you also must try the Tren interoceánico, which is another off the trains builted in this government.
Maybe the real Insurgente was the jazz music we heard along the way. :) I absolutely wish we could get over our fear of elevated rail in the US and just build new ROW and services. **sigh**
As a curious fact: The "Insurgente" train models are from the CAF (Constructora Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles) brand. The same trains manufactured for the CDMX metro line 12 (FE-10).
@@Thom-TRA What I mean is that it is the same company, not the model. Both are created for the CBTC mode (WiFi-based Communications) and with Catenary.
@@nm-22elchinooriginal79 pretty sure CBTC is not wifi-based communication, but an advanced version of the fixed block signalling systems via radio (moving block signalling). Also, I doubt it's using CBTC but more like ETCS which is more mainline based...
Hello, thank you for covering this! I wish u get to see it when El Insurgente opens fully (not exactly when they open as they like to open asap and it takes a bit of weeks to have all ready - all the non functional stuff such as decoration or such) and when the AIFA train opens too, the one from Mexico city to AIFA airport.
None of us Gringos remember & even I at 74 don't, as it was just before my time, but USA had electric interurban trains in every major city all across the country. What tore them out was the entry of private cars, corporate oil investments & road infrastructure. So, what is new is the past regained.
We're gonna get one of these too on the other side of the (other) pond within the next 5 years. Ours will be longer though with 8 cars, have 2 toilets per train and the stations will have platform gates. Which makes sense since the train will go for like 60 miles or more. They'll complement the Japanese subway-looking trains that were already sent here 2 years ago. So cheers to both of us.
I remember one time when my dad was in Mexico City 6 years ago, he took a picture of a train bridge under construction of a high speed rail system and he showed it to me when he got back. That must be the same train system if that’s the newest. I think that’s how long he’s been traveling there for work and hasn’t been going exactly every year since.
I myself love and support transit and I appreciate your encouragement and enthusiasm for modern transit in the USA. I still want to note it is a challenge to decide where to run the lines and how to deal with the impacts. I've seen in Chicago how many buildings were demolished just to stage for the RPB flyover. And how much land has been left scarred in the UK with overzealous transit expansion that's now closed. You've discussed the negatives of Tren Maya. I'd be curious to see the impacts of clearance for El Insurgente. I say this more so as a reminder, you can wish for it, but still there is just so much impact in established communities when a line is cut through that it's not so easy to just expect it to happen.
I think that’s where the importance of historical monuments, environmental reviews, and our modern understanding of history comes in. We can’t let the fact that things are built get in the way of ever building something new, that will lead to our cities crumbling. But we can’t rush things like Tren Maya either. Instead projects should take time to calculate what will have the greatest benefit with the least harm. We’re smart enough to do that.
The music in most touristic places around Mexico it’s on purpose. As you said, it’s because of copyright. Mexico have a lot of social/urban programs where they want you to “sit on the table, put your phone away and talk to each other.” There was a huge campaign doing ads whit that message. Most tourism in Mexico sells relaxation, so they’re going to put music on purpose forcing people to put their phones away. Most of the commercial spots where showing people walking watching their phones and getting run over, talking on the phone and not noticing a child being kidnapped, etc. the ads had very strong messages. So people agreed to have music. If you pay attention it’s not normal to see people walking whit their phones on the streets/sidewalks while crossing the street of in general. Most people do it unaware of why it is normal because it haves become a cultural manner, people don’t walk whit their phones.
SMOOTH JAZZ 🎵 My way to roll :) Also the ascending/descending chimes reminds me of the final round of “Weakest Link” when the players decide who wants to answer first.
@@Thom-TRA how’d you know malls are my first love? 😅 my local mall a long time ago used to have a 3-4 second long telephone tone noise that lives rent free in my brain since the late 90s.
Great video. Amen about building more projects like this in the U.S. Doing elevated lines with modern electrified European rolling stock would be a great way to modernize U.S. commuter rail systems and increase their usefulness. Overall this looks great. Maybe if they end up having another line and they keep the saxphone jazz around they could call it the Kenny G line.
@@Thom-TRA That would be cool. Would be nice to go out to Annapolis for a day on a DC trip and Union Station would be a great hub to easily get to other places in the DC metro area. It'd be great to at least see the MARC Penn Line converted to modern European-style EMU trains.
I would like to meet you in November in LA when the second segment of the K Line, the potion between West Westchester/Veteran's and the junction with the Green Line south of LA Airport. This segment includes 96th Street LAX Transit Center and Aviation/Century stations. When this link opens, the "C" line will run from 96th Street to Norwalk and the "K" line will operate between Redondo Beach and Expo/Crenshaw.
The expansion of the suburban train to the new AIFA airport will use the same train model as the insurgent one. There will be 10 trains, with the same paint pattern, the only difference is that the wheels were adapted to use the same type of suburban train track.
@@linuxsisschannel8602 Yes, but they are trains that were kept in reserve for a future increase in demand. The El Insurgente stations are very long, this is because it was planned to use two connected trains to form a single longer train and cover the increase in demand in the future. That is why it does not affect taking those trains that were in reserve, since they can be replaced later in the event that there is such an increase in demand.
They should extend the line across the center in the long term, maybe this would need to be in a tunnel. But it's great to see that the current line is fully elevated!
The City has 12 metro línes many passing through Downtown, It Will be hard todo It through a tunnel, some metro línes aré already very deep because they had to built them under the existing lines
@@Thom-TRA Of course its expensive, but it could be very useful. It could be like Londons Crossrail, which is parallel to the central line, but with fewer stops. Or like Paris RER.
@@Thom-TRA It could go to buenavista via La Condesa, Insurgentes and Revolucion. Or it could go to the airport via San Pedro de los Pinos, Etiopia, Xola, Coyuya and Ciudad Deportiva
Have you done the Interoceanico the one run by ex British Rail HST's yet? The music on board is now used as a common thing to prevent loitering and begging. Apparently playing music stops people hangling around especially if it's classical or jazz. The Rio De Janiero Metro uses this as do some city bus stations in Northern England.
I prefer that jazz music more than those “tv channels” they have in metrobús and metro screens full of annoying commercials and banda an regeton music 😂
I don't like any screens in public transport tbh. I understand i't s an opportunity for transport companies to earn some additional money but I find it so annoying to constantly be blasted with (even muted) commercials and news. Everyone has their own device to look at anyway, give me some peace and quiet for a few minutes please.
@@Thom-TRA Well yes and no, It's really hard to not look at screens, at least for me. I would like to look out the window but then somethings moves in my periphery and the next second I catch myself reading about a car crash or some other insignificant piece of news that I didn't need to know. Not the most urgent problem in the world but I personally find it annoying.
@Thom-TRA It was crazy, but a lot of fun. I was setting up a new factory not far from the Zapata statue. On weekends and vacations I wandered around many of the mountain towns. Ah, the food!
Something like El Insurgente would make sense between Largo and Annapolis. However, the Harry Truman Park & Ride is 4mi from downtown so we are either stuck with that, then again crossing the South River and the immediate Annapolis suburbs might kill off any connection between WMATA territory and Annapolis
You should make a video of the commuter train that goes from Buenavista (CDMX) to Cuautitlan (EdoMex), the trains are inspired by the Renfe 447 from Madrid, Spain.
Hmm, this service really reminds me of Gautrain in Johannesburg-Pretoria; it's another service that does hit 160kph service speed and is intended to be a classy alternative to driving. They use the British electrostars, so the trains are definitely nicer, but the architecture and stuff feels very similar. However, I feel like this train is a big miss for needing a metro transfer. Gautrain delivers people right into CBDs, and right to the airport (although they have a much more disconnected set of transit systems there; wealth disparity is very very visible there).
What Joburg miss compared to Mexico City is their confusing suburban rail system , is still in used? Would love to see these system replaced to metro lines
This train has a station right in the middle of santa fe one of the citys biggest cbds and an área that was mostly disconnected from the transit system of the city,It does not reach Downtown but keep in mind about half a million people commute daily the route that this train makes, the only ways to reach santa fe prior to this train where buses and cars, also as you said It Will connect with the metro, México City has one of the most extensive metros in the world 12 línes and More than 200 km, when It conects to the metro the ridership Is expected to explode, so yes transfers will be needed but as a whole the transit system Is very integranted
Based upon other, older rail coach equipment from CAF, in my opinion, exteriors are acceptable while interior seating design may look new but may not hold under heavy use, comfort notwithstanding.
So, I overheard you talking about 160km/h speed. According to El Insurgente the trains run at 120km/h in regular service while the special express trains (not yet built & on order) will run at 160km/h.
Some US cities have new commuter trains in service. Examples are TexRail & Caltrain (Stadler), Metro North & LIRR (Kawasaki M8’s and M9’s). But I agree that a lot of them are lacking.
That's a good project. Modern and functional ststions and also modern trains. With those EMUs Caf just seemed to have done an upgrade of RENFE 's Civias, wich are presently the Spanish operator most modern commuter rolling stock (but already new EMUs from Stadler & Alstom are being built or in the 1st steges of testing, and Caf 's next generation Civity EMUs are on order). The interior is quite similar to the ones from Renfe. Only the frontal lights have a different look. Possibly the electrification system is also different from the Spanish one (in Spain the Civias work under 3 Kv dc. This system being new it's probably 25 kV ac). As for train speed the line just seems to be working on some sort of ',teal's test mode, but if it will reach 160 Km/h, that's quite a good level (in Spain, the Civias top speed is 120)
Una disculpa por escribir en español, pero no se inglés. Desafortunadamente van a operar a una velocidad máxima de 120k/h, las pendientes se hasta 4 grados y las curvas constantes en el trazado limitan la velocidad, donde probablemente si destaque es en ramal al AIFA que tiene grandes rectas.
I've heard of _El_ _Insurgente,_ but I found this informative! I knew about the origin of its impressive name (indeed, in Spanish class, I even did an entire assignment about Hidalgo, the original _insurgente_ of the Mexican War of Independence), but I didn't know that this is a _musical_ train as well. Also, the idea of an electrified commuter railroad on new trackage reminds me of the Purple Line that the San Diego Trolley plans on making in my home city: although the other Trolley lines are light rail, the Purple Line (opening 2035) will _also_ be an electric commuter train. I imagine that would be similar to the _Tren_ _Suburbano_ _and _El_ _Insurgente_ in Mexico City. Thanks for the video! For more information on the Purple Line: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_Line_(San_Diego_Trolley)
A train that plays jazz? Bad for mexico good for the US. I wish the NYC subway did that. I could do with some city jazz that NYC is famous for. The chime sounds Chinese. That horn you heard at 8:45 is a common CAF horn seen on most trains excluding the UK
@@shinosukenohara5662 Well i am not sure why Thom didn't like the music on the whole time. He was obviously stressed out. In the US trains are very quiet and have no music. Seems kind of boring in US cities where Jazz is very popular.
@@Cupertinorail a train playing music sounds really annoying, no matter if the music is good. Its annoying for people wanting to talk or relax and if you’re listening to other music or watching a movie it’s going to clash.
@@eechauch5522 I understand that the music on the train can be annoying for some people, but what I don't understand is the comment that jazz is bad for Mexico.
Presidente AMLO built 3000 kms of new railways and +50 billion dollars. New presidenta Claudia Sheinbaum plans to built at least double that number. Exciting projects like high speed CDMX - Querétaro train and the first binational train Monterrey - Austin... Both will surpass 200 kms per hour. Very interesting years ahead😊
I wonder if once more people start riding, the jazz music will not sound as loud as it did when the train was empty. It’ll be interesting to see how the atmosphere changes once the city line opens and these trains are full of people.
The irony of a Spanish-built train being named after the guy that fought against Spanish colonialism is great. I hope they have enough train sets to run these in coupled pairs. Based on all the other Mexico City transit, I’m sure one will not be enough. Renfe almost always runs the Civias in coupled pairs. Because the carriages are unusually short a single set is only equivalent to a 3-car train, which is pretty small for a service in such a large city.
Question is, does this train scream Cercanias/Rodalies loud enough to quell the jazz? Reckon this is a similar tactic to the classical played in various parts of the NL and DE systems. Plus it makes sure you don't linger on what is bound to be a high capacity system once it's fully built, as you say. Thanks for the insights, it all makes me impatient for the next \m/
something i dont like about cdmx public transport is the excessive use of "ambient music" and overwhelming saturation of visual and sound "experience". In my opinion, metrobus, metro and intercity train experience would be even better if there were no music nor videos playing. But... i'm guessing that's just a fantasy right now
To bad you missed on the next stop after Zinacantepec... It has a great View of a forest AND goes tru a really long tunnel... I think ITS the longest in latín América
@@Thom-TRA maybe ITS my broken english.. what im saying Is that ITS to bad you barely missed out.. that Is all.. it feels like you answer comment in a defensive way.. maybe you are not but i kind of feels that way.
