| El Tapatío | |
| First: | 1888 |
| Last: | 1998 |
| Formeroperator: | Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México |
| Start: | Buenavista station, Mexico City |
| End: | Guadalajara station, Guadalajara |
| Successor: | Proposed revival (2029) |
| Gauge: | Standard gauge |
| Map State: | collapsed |
The Tapatío (named for the Spanish word tapatío, meaning a person from Jalisco) was a passenger service between Mexico City and Guadalajara. It was operated by the Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México (N de M), providing an express service between its two destinations.[1]
Under the N de M, the train in its normal service had more than 90 stations throughout its route, including its main stations at Mexico City's Buenavista station, Irapuato, and Guadalajara.[2] [3]
The branch of Line A of the national railway network, which was oepned in 1888, reached Guadalajara for its importance as a means of passenger transportation. Eventually, this branch, known as the Irapuato-Guadalajara line, gave rise to the new Line T in 1943, which connected Guadalajara to Nogales. In 1957, the Irapuato-Guadalajara line also led to the expansion of Line I to the Pacific coast in the state of Colima, to help the transport of maritime cargo from Manzanillo to Mexico City, via Guadalajara.[4]
By 1960, the Tapatío was one of the last four fully Pullman trains in North America. Soon afterwards, he old, heavy Pullman bed cars, painted in light turquoise with a red stripe, were replaced by newer cars that the N de M purchased second-hand from railroad companies in the United States.[5]
From its opening in 1888 until its closure in 1998, the Tapatío supplemented the service of the long-distance train known as the Regiomontano, whose route was twice that of the Tapatío although its speed was also higher; both had stops in stations of the important cities. Like the local Regiomontano, the Tapatío was aimed at middle- and upper-class users, who traveled in Pullman sleeping cars.[6]
On 20 November 2023, the government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador issued a decree to reactivate seven passenger train lines, including the Mexico City-Guadalajara route.[7]
In July 2024, president-elect Claudia Sheinbaum announced plans to restore the Mexico City-Guadalajara passenger train. The work on restoring this service will begin on 1 October 2024, and the new service will open on 17 May 2029.[8] [9] [10] [11]
The estimated time of the new Mexico City-Querétaro-Guadalajara Train route would be approximately three hours with 34 minutes, considering a maximum speed of 160 kilometers per hour in the 581 kilometers. The intention is also to connect the Guadalajara train with Nogales across the Pacific coast.