List of street railways in Mexico

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This is a list of street railways in Mexico by state. The list includes all tram systems, past and present.

Note for Mexico (in general): Approximately 1,000 towns had tramways. Most were worked by animal traction, and connected railway stations with town centers. Some lines were worked by small steam locomotives. Horse- or mule-drawn vehicles used on some lines were eventually equipped with petrol (gasoline) engines (Morrison [1]). Opening and closing dates are difficult to establish because the Mexican government did not conduct surveys of tramway systems between 1907 and 1922 (Morrison [2].

Data for 1907 were published in 1912, by which time the Mexican Revolution (1910–1921) was underway. Thereafter, government statistics included only those tramway systems with federal concessions—e.g. intercity lines—for the years 1922–1934.

The tables below includes fewer than half the number of towns stated by Morrison. Peschkes (Part One, 1980, pages 10–38) tabulates 406 systems, and states (Part Four, 1998, page 140) that an additional 51 systems had been located. The list below excludes hacienda tramways, which transported crops, other goods and passengers to and from plantations.

Aguascalientes[edit]

Name of System Location Traction
Type
Date (From) Date (To) Notes
Compañía Productora y Abastecedora de Potencia Eléctrica de Aguascalientes Aguascalientes Horse Feb 1883 ? [3]
Electric 5 May 1904 1931 [4]
  AsientosPresa de la Huerta Steam ? ?  
  Calvillo Mule ? ?  
  Lagos Mule ? ?  
  Rincón de Romos Mule ? ?  
  Rincón de RomosTepezalá Mule ? ?  

Baja California[edit]

Name of System Location Traction
Type
Date (From) Date (To) Notes
  Ensenada Mule ? ?  
  Mexicali Mule ? ?  
  Tecate Mule ? ?  
  Tijuana Mule ? ?  

Baja California Sur[edit]

Name of System Location Traction
Type
Date (From) Date (To) Notes
  La Paz Mule ? ?  
  Santa Rosalía Steam ? ?  
  Todos Santos Mule ? ?  

Campeche[edit]

Name of System Location Traction
Type
Date (From) Date (To) Notes
  (San Francisco de) CampecheLerma Mule ? ? [5]
Steam ? ? [6]
Petrol (gasoline) ? 1941 [7]
  ChencánMorelosChumal Mule ? ?  
  Ciudad del Carmen Mule ? ?  
  El PitalMatamoros Mule ? ?  
  El PitalEscarcega Mule ? ?  

Chiapas[edit]

Name of System Location Traction
Type
Date (From) Date (To) Notes
  Arriaga Mule ? ?  
  Comitán (de Domínguez) Mule ? ?  
  San Cristóbal (de las Casas) Mule ? ?  
  Tapachula Mule ? ? [8]
  Tonalá Mule ? ?  
  Tuxtla Gutiérrez Mule ? ?  

Chihuahua[edit]

Name of System Location Traction
Type
Date (From) Date (To) Notes
  Casas Grandes Mule ? ?  
  Cerrito (or Cerritos) Mule ? ? see note.
Compañía Eléctrica y de Ferrocarriles de Chihuahua Chihuahua Mule 1887 1908 [9]
Electric 4 Oct 1908 1922 [10]
  (Santa Rosalía de) Camargo Mule ? ?  
El Paso Electric Company, Transportation Division (El Paso City Lines) Ciudad Juárez Mule Oct 1882 ?  
Electric 11 Jan 1902 30 Jul 1973 Operation suspended Aug 1966 – Nov 1967, and Jul 1969 – Nov 1970. International tramway from El Paso, Texas. (See also: List of town tramway systems in North America#Texas.) Allen Morrison, The Tramways of Ciudad Juárez
  Delicias Mule ? ?  
  Jiménez Mule ? ?  
  Ojinaga Mule ? ?  
Ferrocarril Urbano de Hidalgo del Parral (Hidalgo del) Parral Electric Feb 1908 11 Oct 1908 [11], see note.
  San Francisco del Oro Mule ? ?  
  San José Mule ? ?  
  • Note for Cerrito: Peschkes (Part One, 1980, Page 28) states that the location of this town is "unknown."
  • Note for (Hidalgo del) Parral: Peschkes (Part One, 1980, page 17) states that animal and electric traction was used in Parral. Morrison [12] states that "Parral never had a horse tram line." Operation of electric tramway suspended (after fewer than nine months) because of electric substation equipment breakdown. It is not known whether the system reopened.

Coahuila[edit]

Name of System Location Traction
Type
Date (From) Date (To) Notes
  Allende Horse ? ?  
  Monclova Horse ? ?  
Petrol (gasoline) ? ?  
  MonclovaPánuco, Coahuila Steam ? ?  
  Piedras Negras Horse ? ?  
  Saltillo Horse ? ?  
Accumulator (storage battery) ? ?  
  Torreón Horse 1900 ?  
Electric Dec 1904 ca. 1940 [13], [14]. See also Lerdo (Durango) – Gómez Palacio (Durango) – Torreón.
  TorreónSan Pedro (de las Colonias) Horse ? ?  
  San Pedro de las Colonias Horse ? ?  
  TorreónMatamoros (de la Laguna) Horse ? ?  
  Viesca Horse ? ?  

Colima[edit]

Name of System Location Traction
Type
Date (From) Date (To) Notes
  ColimaVilla de Alvarez Mule ? ?  
Petrol (gasoline) ? ?  
  Manzanillo Petrol (gasoline) ? ?  

Durango[edit]

Name of System Location Traction
Type
Date (From) Date (To) Notes
  Dinamita Mule ? ?  
  DurangoCerro de Mercado Mule ? ?  
Accumulator (storage battery) ? ?  
  LerdoGómez Palacio Horse 1890 ? [15]
Electric 3 Mar 1901 3 Mar, 1953 [16], [17]. See note.
  Pedriceña Mule ? ?  

Guanajuato[edit]

Name of System Location Traction
Type
Date (From) Date (To) Notes
  Acámbaro Horse ? ?  
  AcámbaroSan Pablo Horse ? ?  
  Apaseo el Alto Horse ? ?  
Ferrocarril Urbano de Celaya Celaya Horse 188_ May 1954 [18]. Believed to be the last town tramway in Mexico (and North America) worked by horse traction.
Ferrocarril de Celaya a Santa Cruz Celaya – RoquePlancarte / Santa Cruz (de Juventino Rosas) Horse ca 1893 ?  
Petrol (gasoline) ? 1940  
  CortazarVillagrán Horse ? ?  
  Dolores Hidalgo (Cuna de la Independencia Nacional) Horse ? ?  
  GuanajuatoMarfil Horse ? ?  
Petrol (gasoline) ? ?  
  Irapuato Horse ? ?  
Petrol (gasoline) ? ?  
  León Horse ? ?  
Petrol (gasoline) ? ?  
  Pénjamo Horse ? ?  
  Salamanca Horse ? ?  
  ♦ Salamanca – San Juan Horse ? ?  
  (San Andrés de) SalvatierraSan José Horse ? ?  
  San Felipe Horse ? ?  
  San Francisco del Rincón Horse ? ?  
  San Luis de la Paz Horse ? ?  
  San Miguel de Allende Horse ? ?  
  Silao (de la Victoria) Horse ? ?  
Steam ? ?  
  SilvaJerécuaro Horse ? ?  
Steam ? ?  
  Valle de Santiago Horse ? ?  

Guerrero[edit]

Name of System Location Traction
Type
Date (From) Date (To) Notes
  Chilpancingo (de los Bravo) Horse ? ?  
  Iguala (de la Independencia) Horse ? ?  

Hidalgo[edit]

Name of System Location Traction
Type
Date (From) Date (To) Notes
  AcopinalcoChimalpan Horse ? ?  
  AmaninalcoIroló Horse ? ?  
  HuichapanSan Juan del Río, Querétaro Horse ? ?  
  Los Romeros Horse ? ?  
  Pachuca Horse ? ? [19]
Steam ? ? [20]
Electric Sep (?) 1913 ca. 1940 [21]
  San Agustín (Tlaxiaca) Horse ? ?  
  San Idefonso Horse ? ?  
  San VicenteEstancia Horse ? ?  
  Sandoval Horse ? ?  
  TetlapayacTetlapaya Horse ? ?  
  Tula de Allende Horse ? ?  
  Tulancingo de Bravo Horse ? ?  

Jalisco[edit]

Name of System Location Traction
Type
Date (From) Date (To) Notes
  Atenquique Horse ? ?  
  Encarnación de Diaz Horse ? ?  
  Guadalajara Horse Jan 1878 ? [22]
Electric 14 Sep 1907 1944 [23]
  (San Pedro) Tlaquepaque Horse ? ?  
  La Barca Horse ? 1953  
  Lagos de Moreno Horse ? ?  
  Ocotlán Horse ? ?  
  San Juan de los Lagos Horse ? ?  
  San Marcos ? ? ?  
  Tala Horse ? ?  
  Tepatitlán (de Morelos) Horse ? ?  
  Tequila Horse ? 1952  
  Zapotlán (del Rey) ? ? ?  
  Zapotlanejo ? ? ?  

Estado de México (State of Mexico)[edit]

Name of System Location Traction
Type
Date (From) Date (To) Notes
  El Oro de Hidalgo Horse ? ?  
  HueyapanCiudad Pelon ? ? ?  
  Ixtlahuaca de RayónMani Horse ? ?  
  La Compañía Horse ? ?  
  Otumba (de Gómez Farías)San LorenzoCuantentoTlaquiltchan, Hidalgo Horse ? ?  
Petrol (gasoline) ? ?  
  San Felipe del Progreso Horse ? ?  
  San RafaelZavaleta Steam ? ?  
  TecpatepecPalma Steam ? ?  
  Tenango del Aire Horse ? ?  
Petrol (gasoline) ? ?  
  Teotihuacán (de Arista)San Juan Horse ? ?  
Steam ? ?  
Diesel ? ?  
  Tlalnepantla de Baz Petrol (gasoline) ? ?  
  Toluca (de Lerdo) Horse ? ?  
Petrol (gasoline) ? ?  
Accumulator (storage battery) ? ?  
  Toluca – San Juan Petrol (gasoline) ? ?  
  Zacatepec Horse ? ?  
  Zoquiapán Diesel ? ?  
  Zumpango (de Ocampo) Horse ? ?  

Mexico City[edit]

Name of System Location Traction
Type
Date (From) Date (To) Notes
Servicio de Transportes Eléctricos (Streetcars in Mexico City, Xochimilco Light Rail) Ciudad de México /Mexico City Horse 12 Dec 1857 24 Nov, 1932 [24]
Steam 1865 ? [25]
Accumulator (storage battery) 1896 1900 [26]
Petrol (gasoline) ? 1934 [27]
Electric 15 Jan 1900 19 May 1979 Operation suspended 1911–1915 because of revolution. Xochimilco Light Rail (south end of ex-Tlalpan line) continues in operation. [28], [29], [30].
Ferrocarril de Tacubaya Tacubaya Steam 1896 1910 [1]

Michoacán (de Ocampo)[edit]

Name of System Location Traction
Type
Date (From) Date (To) Notes
  Lázaro CárdenasRío Grijalva Horse ? ?  
  La Piedad de Cavadas Horse ? 1941  
Petrol (gasoline) ? ?  
  Los Reyes (de Salgado) Horse ? ?  
  Mineral del Oro ? ? ?  
  Morelia Horse ? ?  
Petrol (gasoline) ? ?  
Accumulator (storage battery) ? ?  
  (Vista Hermosa de) Negrete Horse ? ?  
  Pátzcuaro Horse 188_ 191_ [31]
Petrol (gasoline) ? ?  
  Tacámbaro (de Codallos) Horse ? ?  
  Uruapan Horse ? ?  
  Yurécuaro Horse ? ?  
  Zamora Horse 188_ 191_ [32]
Petrol (gasoline) ? ?  
  (Heroica) Zitácuaro Horse ? ?  

Morelos[edit]

Name of System Location Traction
Type
Date (From) Date (To) Notes
  La heroica e histórica Cuautla de Morelos /Cuautla Horse ? ?  
  Cuernavaca Horse ? ?  
  NenampaEl Guarda (Tlalpan), Districto Federal Horse ? ?  
  (Juan) PagazaTlaquiltenango Horse ? ?  
Petrol (gasoline) ? ?  
  Puente de Ixtla Horse ? ?  
  Santa Ines ? ? ?  
  Yautepec (de Zaragoza) Horse ? ?  
  Zacatepec (de Hidalgo)Jojutla (de Juárez) Horse ? ?  
  ♦ Zacatepec (de Hidalgo) – Tlatizapan Horse ? ?  

Nayarit[edit]

Name of System Location Traction
Type
Date (From) Date (To) Notes
  Acaponeta Horse ? ?  
  Compostela Horse ? ?  
  Ruíz Horse ? ?  
  San Blas Horse ? ?  
  Tepic Horse ? ?  

Nuevo León[edit]

Name of System Location Traction
Type
Date (From) Date (To) Notes
  Anáhuac Horse ? ?  
  GuadalupeMinas Viejas Horse ? ?  
  LinaresSan José Petrol (gasoline) ? ?  
  Los Aldamas Horse ? ?  
  Montemorelos Horse ? ?  
  Monterrey Horse 1883 ? [33]
Electric 15 Jul 1907 30 May 1932 [34]
  Villa de Santa María de Los Aldamas /Villa Aldamas – Doctor Coss Horse ? ?  

Oaxaca[edit]

Name of System Location Traction
Type
Date (From) Date (To) Notes
  Ixtepec Horse ? ?  
  Loma Bonita Horse ? ?  
  Oaxaca (de Juárez) Horse ca. 1890 193_ [35]
Accumulator (storage battery) (?) ? ?  
Petrol (gasoline) (?) ? ?  
  ♦ Oaxaca – Ejutla de Crespo Horse ? ?  
  ♦ Oaxaca – Santa María del Tule Horse ? ?  
  San Juan ChapultepecSan Pablo Etla Horse ? ?  
  (San Juan Bautista) TuxtepecSebastopol Horse ? ?  
  (Santo Domingo) Tehuantepec Horse ? ?  

Puebla[edit]

Name of System Location Traction
Type
Date (From) Date (To) Notes
  Acatzingo (de Hidalgo)HuizcolotlaAnnatempan Steam ? ?  
  AmozocTepeaco Horse ? ?  
  ApapascoTlaloc Horse ? ?  
  Atlixco Horse 1898 ? [36]
Petrol (gasoline) ? after 1944 [37]
  AtencingoTlancualpican ? ? ?  
  ChachapaCapulac ? ? ?  
  Chietla Horse ? ?  
  Ciudad SerdánChalchicomulas Petrol (gasoline) ? ?  
  Ciudad Serdán – San AndrésLa Capilla Horse ? ?  
  EsperanzaXúchil Horse ? ?  
  Galapaxco Horse ? ? see note.
  Izúcar (de Matamoros) Horse ? ?  
Compañía de Tranvías, Luz y Fuerza de Puebla Puebla Horse May 1881 ? [38]
Petrol (gasoline) ? 10 Oct 1926 [39]
Compañía de Tranvías, Luz y Fuerza de Puebla ♦ Puebla – El Valor, Tlaxcala Horse ca. 1890 ? [40], see note.
Petrol (gasoline) ? Mar 1942 [41], see note.
Compañía de Tranvías, Luz y Fuerza de Puebla ♦ Puebla – Cholula (de Rivadavia)Huexotzingo Horse ca. 1890 ? [42], see note.
Petrol ? 1928 [43], see note.
Electric 27 May 1924 31 Dec, 1941 [44], see note.
  Tecamachalco Horse ? ?  
  TehuacánEl Riego Horse ? ?  
Petrol (gasoline) ? 1950  
  San Martín Texmelucan de Labastida /Texmelucan – TetlaHuexotzingo Horse ? ?  
  Teziutlán Horse ? ?  
  • Note for Galapaxco: Peschkes (Part One, 1980, Page 34) states that the location of this town is "unknown."
  • Note for Puebla – El Valor: Opened in stages, completed 1897.
  • Note for Puebla – Cholula – Huexotzingo: Opened in stages, completed 1897. Puebla – Cholula electrified 1924. Cholula – Huejotzingo not electrified.

Querétaro[edit]

Name of System Location Traction
Type
Date (From) Date (To) Notes
  (San Sebastián) Bernal Horse ? ?  
  (Santiago de) Querétaro Horse ? ?  
  San Juan del Río Horse ? ?  
Petrol (gasoline) ? ?  
  San Juan del RíoTequisquiapan Horse ? ?  

San Luis Potosí[edit]

Name of System Location Traction
Type
Date (From) Date (To) Notes
  Ciudad Valles Petrol (gasoline) ? ?  
  (San Juan de los) Cerritos Mule ? ?  
  Guerrero Mule ? ?  
Steam ? ?  
  Matehuala Mule ? ?  
  Mina Asarco Mule ? ? see note.
  Real de CatorcePotrero Mule ? ? [45]
Electric 15 Sep 1908 3 Jun, 1933 [46]
  San Luis Potosí Horse 188_ ? [47]
Electric 16 Feb 1914 7 Apr, 1932 [48]
  Jesús María (Cerro de San Pedro) Mule ? ?  
  Villa de Pozos Mule ? ?  
  Santa María del Río Mule ? ?  
  Tamasopo Mule ? ?  
  Villa de Reyes Mule ? ?  
  • Note for Mina Asarco: Peschkes (Part One, 1980, Page 30) states that the location of this town is "unknown." Mina is Spanish for "mine," and Asarco is believed to refer to ASARCO, Inc.

Sinaloa[edit]

Name of System Location Traction
Type
Date (From) Date (To) Notes
  Altata Horse ? ?  
  Culiacán Horse ? ?  
  Guasave Horse ? ?  
  Los Mochis Horse ? ?  
  Mazatlán Horse ? ? [49]
Steam 1908 1913 [50]

Sonora[edit]

Name of System Location Traction
Type
Date (From) Date (To) Notes
  Cananea Mule 1902 [2] ?  
  Ciudad Obregón Mule ? ?  
  Guaymas Mule 1888 1917 [51]
  Hermosillo Mule ? ?  
  Huatabampo Mule ? ?  
  Navojoa Mule ? ?  
  Nogales Mule ? ?  
Petrol (gasoline) ? ?  

Tabasco[edit]

Name of System Location Traction
Type
Date (From) Date (To) Notes
  Cárdenas Mule ? ?  
  Frontera Mule ? ?  
  Jalapa Mule ? ?  
  Tamulté (de las Sábanas) Mule ? ?  
  Villahermosa Mule ? ?  
Petrol (gasoline) ? ?  

Tamaulipas[edit]

Name of System Location Traction
Type
Date (From) Date (To) Notes
  Ciudad Victoria Horse ? ?  
Petrol (gasoline) ? ?  
  Ciudad Mante Horse ? ?  
Petrol (gasoline) ? ?  
  Matamoro Horse ? ? [52]
Petrol (gasoline) ? ? [53]
  Nuevo Laredo Horse 19 Nov 1886 ?  
Electric 12 Mar 1890 ? International tramway, from Laredo, Texas US [54]
  Reynosa Horse ? ?  
  Santa Engracia Horse ? ?  
  Tampico Horse 1879

1 Jan 1901

?

?

[55]
Electric May (?) 1914 31 Mar 1927 [56]
Sociedad Cooperativa de Transportes Eléctricos de Tampico y Miramar ♦ Tampico – Miramar (Ciudad Madero) Electric 30 Aug 1914 13 Dec, 1974 [57]

Tlaxcala[edit]

Name of System Location Traction
Type
Date (From) Date (To) Notes
  AnalcoReyes Horse ? ?  
  ApizaclTlaxco (de Morelos) Horse ? ?  
  Guadalupe Horse ? ?  
  Huamantla Horse ? ?  
  NanacamilpaIxtajiaguca Horse ? ?  
  Tlaxcala Petrol (gasoline) ? ?  
  Zoltepec Petrol (gasoline) ? ?  

Veracruz (de Ignacio de la Llave)[edit]

Name of System Location Traction
Type
Date (From) Date (To) Notes
  Alamo Horse ? ? [58]
  Alvarado Horse ? ?  
  Coatepec Horse ? ?  
  Coatzacoalcos Horse ? ?  
  Córdoba Horse ? ?  
Steam ? ?  
Petrol (gasoline) ? ?  
  El Humo (Pánuco)El Higo Petrol (gasoline) ? ?  
  La GloriaCardel Horse ? ?  
  (San Pedro de) Los NaranjosCuchillos Horse ? ?  
  NanchitalEl Chapo Horse ? ?  
  Orizaba Horse 1878 ? [59]
Petrol (gasoline) 192_ 1933 [60]
  Paso del Macho Horse ? ?  
  San JeronimoCerro Azul Steam ? ?  
  San Juan EvangelistaJuilo Horse ? ?  
  Soledad (de Doblado) Horse ? ?  
  TecolutlaPalo Hueco Horse ? ?  
  Tierra Blanca Horse ? ?  
  Tlacotalpan Horse ? ?  
  Túxpam de Rodríguez Cano /Túxpan Horse ? ?  
  Túxpam de Rodríguez Cano /Túxpan Horse ? ?  
  (San Andrés) Tuxtla Horse ? ?  
Sociedad Cooperativa de Transportes Urbanos y Sub-Urbanos de Veracruz S.A. de C.V. Veracruz Horse 1864 1939 [61]
Electric 5 Jul 1908 16 Aug, 1981 [62]
  ♦ Veracruz – Tejería Horse ? ?  
Petrol (gasoline) ? ?  
  ♦ Veracruz – Xalapa (de Enríquez) /Jalapa Mule 1875 1893 [63]. Ranked as world's longest horse tramway line.
  Xalapa (de Enríquez) /Jalapa Horse 1875 ? [64]
Steam 1898 1926 [65]
Accumulator (storage battery) ? ?  
Petrol (gasoline) 1926 1935 [66]

Yucatán[edit]

Name of System Location Traction
Type
Date (From) Date (To) Notes
  Espita Horse ? ?  
  Mérida Horse 15 Dec 1880   [67]
Steam 189_ ? [68]
Accumulator (storage battery) 1918 ? [69]
Petrol (gasoline) 1919 1930 [70]
  Peto Horse ? ?  
  Progreso Horse 189_ ? [71]
Petrol (gasoline) ? 193_ [72]
  Sisal Horse ? ?  
  Tekax (de Álvaro Obregón) Horse ? ?  
  Tizimín Horse ? ?  
  Tzucacab Horse ? ?  
  Valladolid Horse ? ?  
  • Note for Yucatán: In addition to urban tramways, "central Yucatán" (i.e. the northeastern part of Yucatán state) had more than 1,500 km (950 mi) of intercity tramways, all worked by horses or mules. At least seven such lines extended from Mérida [73]. In addition, Yucatán also had approximately 3,000 km (1,900 mi) of hacienda tramways. These were built to transport henequen crops from plantation fields to railway stations [74]. Some henequen plantations closed because of the Great Depression, and the hacienda tramways were handed to railway companies or other enterprises. Many hacienda tramways were eventually abandoned but tracks remained in use by local residents [75]. A few hacienda tramways continued in operation after 2000.

Zacatecas[edit]

Name of System Location Traction
Type
Date (From) Date (To) Notes
  Concepción del Oro (El Oro) Horse ? ?  
  Fresnillo Horse ? ?  
  Jerez Horse ? ?  
  Sombrerete Horse ? ?  
Petrol (gasoline) ? ?  
  Zacatecas Horse ? ?  
  ♦ Zacatecas – Ojocaliente Horse ? ?  

References[edit]

  1. ^ Best, Gerald M. (1968). Mexican Narrow Gauge. Howell-North. pp. 75–78.
  2. ^ "News of the Town". Arizona Republican. 30 August 1902. p. 5. Retrieved 17 December 2019.