BnamericasPublished: Thursday, July 23, 2026
Politics Railway stations Capex Construction Contractor Company Financing
The Integrated Public Trains and Transport Agency (ATTRAPI) is tendering the construction of the Valentín Campa and Álvaro Obregón stations, as part of the expansion of Mexico City Metro Line 12, after completing excavation of the tunnel between Mixcoac and Observatorio.
During a supervision tour this week, the director general of ATTRAPI, Andrés Lajous, reported that excavation of the 4.6km tunnel between Mixcoac and Observatorio, one of the project’s main construction milestones, has been completed. The agency plans to publish the call for bids for the Observatorio station in the first week of September.
"The tender for Observatorio will be published in the first week of September," Lajous told local media in advance.
The two ongoing tenders are in the clarification stage and correspond to public works contracts, of a national nature and under a lump-sum pricing modality.
The tender for Álvaro Obregón includes the construction of the station, rectification substations 15, 16 and 17, and the Barranquilla main ventilation unit. The opening of bids is scheduled for August 14, the award decision for August 28, and the start of works for September 18, with an execution period of 732 calendar days.
For its part, the tender for Valentín Campa includes the construction of the station, concourses, major ventilation units, walkways and access points. The opening of bids will take place on August 17, the decision on September 3 and the start of work on September 24, with a period of 550 calendar days.
Both contracts include an advance payment equivalent to 20% of the contracted amount, a performance guarantee for the same percentage, and execution over three budget years. They are part of the Mixcoac-Observatorio expansion project, financed with resources from the National Infrastructure Fund (Fonadin).
"The total cost of the project, let's say for everything that remains to be done, etc., is 11 billion (bn) (about US$632 million (mn)), which is being financed with the support of the National Infrastructure Fund," said Lajous.
The authorities are maintaining the schedule to complete the civil works by the end of 2028 and begin operation of the full system in 2029.
Project progress
The expansion will add 4.6km of underground infrastructure between Mixcoac and Observatorio and will incorporate three stations: Valentín Campa, Álvaro Obregón and Observatorio. The latter will connect Line 12 with Line 1 of the Metro, the Mexico-Toluca “El Insurgente” Interurban Train, the Observatorio Central Bus Terminal and the CETRAM.
According to Lajous, the tunnel and the section corresponding to the anthropogenic fill have already reached 100% completion.
The Valentín Campa station shows 28% progress at tunnel level, while Álvaro Obregón is at around 30%, as platform walls and slabs are still pending, in addition to some extra connections.
The project will benefit approximately 220,000 daily users, reduce 3,742t of carbon dioxide emissions, and has so far generated 19,350 direct jobs and 67,400 indirect jobs, according to ATTRAPI.
Excavation
Lajous explained that the main construction challenge was to cross an old open-pit mine that had been filled with rubble, trash, and other low-resistance materials beneath the Minas de Cristo neighborhood.
"There was a time when they could advance 3 meters per month. That is, 1 meter every 10 days," he said.
The deputy director of the Line 12 extension, Arturo Esparza, explained that the stretch of approximately 121 meters forced a temporary halt to the excavation in order to redesign the construction procedure and consolidate the ground before continuing the work.
"The settlements were homogeneous; they were not differentiated," Esparza said.
The official noted that the tunnel incorporates a double concrete lining and a waterproofing system designed to reduce leaks and extend the infrastructure’s service life.
For his part, geotechnical specialist Bernardo Rodríguez explained that continuous monitoring made it possible to control deformations both inside the tunnel and on the surface, ensuring the stability of the homes located along the route throughout the entire construction.
Lajous indicated that around 80 homes remain under monitoring and that the final repairs will be carried out once a stabilization period of the ground of approximately two months has been completed.
"We are going to continue serving all the homes," he said.
Design corrects flaws
The authorities indicated that the expansion incorporates the recommendations issued by the French consultancy Systra following the failures detected in the original section of Line 12.
In May 2021, Line 12 of the capital’s Metro suffered a collapse on an elevated section between Olivos and Tezonco stations. The accident caused a train to fall, leaving 26 people dead and more than 80 injured. The incident triggered a mobility crisis and opened investigations into structural failures, poor maintenance, and the responsibilities of authorities and construction companies, becoming one of the most serious disasters in the system’s history.
Esparza explained that the project considers curves with minimum radii of 400m, modifications to the track system, and measures to reduce wear between wheel and rail.
"Yes, everything is included within Systra's recommendations and was followed to the letter, so in the expansion we are not going to have problems with corrugation wear," he assured.
He also indicated that in the Minas de Cristo area an elastomeric mat will be installed under the track to reduce the transmission of vibrations to the surface.
