Mexican Railway
This road was commenced, but the first really
energetic work looking to the connection of the
coast and the table land was in 1857, when Don
Antonio Escandon secured the right to construct a
line from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific.
Revolutions disturbed the country, so that several
years elapsed before active labor was entered
upon, but in 1863 Senor Escandon was secured in
his concession, and a consolidated fund of the
public debt was created, amounting to $8,000,000,
bearing five per cent interest, the capital to be
paid up at the end of twenty-five years.
The war of the intervention prevented
operations until, in 1864, Senor Escandon
transferred his concession to the "Imperial
Mexican Railway Company," which transfer was
approved by Maximilian in January, 1865. After
these various delays, work was begun at either
end, and on the restoration of the republic one
hundred and thirty-four miles were found
completed. Although, upon the resumption of power
by Juarez, the concession was declared forfeited,
"for having contracted with a government
seeking the overthrow of the Mexican
republic," yet, in May, 1867, a decree was
issued restoring its rights, and in November of
that year work was resumed. Under the general
direction of Mr. Buchanan, C. E., the rugged
country between Orizaba and the plateau was
entered; in September, 1869, the branch line from
Apizaco to Puebla was inaugurated, and the section
from Vera Cruz to Atoyac, fifty miles in length,
was opened in 1870. The important city of Orizaba
was placed in connection with the coast in
September, 1872, and on the 1st of January, 1873,
the entire line was completed from the Gulf to the
city of Mexico, and solemnly inaugurated by Senor
Lerdo de Tejada, President of the republic.
The advantages resulting from the completion of
the "Mexican Railway," as this first
iron road in the country was called, were so
manifest, that it soon seemed equally desirable
that Mexico should have rail connection with the
United States. To this end many persons sought
government aid. Under the wise rule of Lerdo and
the progressive administration of Diaz, all
enterprises of this character were encouraged.
Capital was eager to invest in railways in a
country that possessed neither canals nor
navigable rivers, and under a government which
seemed disposed to foster all undertakings which
promised the development of its internal
resources. In 1881, in a pamphlet entitled Los
Ferrocarriles Mexicanos, an eminent Mexican
published a list of forty-two concessions,--since
increased by five others,--few of which had
subventions (or government aid) less than $8,000
per kilometre. Many of these are small
concessions, several will fail to be built from
lack of capital, and most of them have been merged
into the greater lines, such as the Central and
the National.
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Introduction
| Mexican
Railway | Central
| National
| Morelos
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