Engineering feasibility of the tehuantepec canal - Poderlatam Chronicle

Theidea, first undertaken by President Porfirio Díaz in 1907, is finally coming together with renewed proportions and reach. Today'sTehuantepecInteroceanic Corridor aims to compete with the PanamaCanal, industrialize towns and cities along its path, and turn southern Mexico into a world-class logistics and manufacturing hub.

Cancún — TheTehuantepecCanalproject, promoted by Quintana Roo-based businessman Miguel Quintana Pali, is designed to transform the Isthmus ofTehuantepecinto "themost important port and industrial zone in the world due to its strategic location in the 'economic navel of the globe.'"

TheInteroceanic Corridor of the Isthmus ofTehuantepec(CIIT) is a multimodal logistics platform designed to promote well-being and regional development across its area of influence, which includes the states of Veracruz, Oaxaca, Tabasco, and Chiapas. This initiative is implemented through coordination among the National Port System Administrations of Coatzacoalcos, Salina Cruz, Dos Bocas ...

While some experts speculate about the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus ofTehuantepecpotentially outpacing the PanamaCanalin terms of cost-effectiveness and speed, leading to potential shifts in shipping routes, it's important to note that the primary aim of the Mexican railway corridor isn't to render thecanalobsolete.

TheMexican government's high-speed/high-capacity railway aims to compete with the PanamaCanalfor interoceanic commercial transport.

They shared information about flagship infrastructure projects both governments are promoting, particularly the Maya Train and the Panama-David Train. The delegations also highlighted the complementary nature of theTehuantepecIsthmus Interoceanic Corridor and the PanamaCanal, aimed at driving development across the Latin American region.

TheCIIT project, which aims to provide a multimodal logistics service integrating Mexico's National Port System and local administrations, interconnected through rail transport via the Isthmus ofTehuantepecRailway, was officially approved in June 2019, as an alternative to the PanamaCanal.

Thedream of linking Mexico's two coasts is not new. As far back as the early 20th century, theTehuantepecRailway provided a modest connection between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific. But its capacity was limited and eventually overshadowed by the PanamaCanalafter its completion in 1914.

Theidea is to upgrade the rail line to transport materials and products between Coatzacoalcos, in the Gulf to Salina Cruz, in the state of Oaxaca along the Pacific Ocean, reducing transportation time and costs to shipping companies that now use the PanamaCanal. Mexico believes the new rail line will be ready by this time next year.