Mexico to use China-built light rail car for first time

MEXICO CITY - Mexico on Tuesday received the first wagon of its first China-built light rail car as part of an effort to upgrade the country's urban light rail transportation system.

The first wagon was delivered to Monterrey, capital of north Mexico's Nuevo Leon state, and placed on the maintenance tracks with the help of specialized cranes, the local government said in a statement.

Another three wagons are to be delivered this week at station 1 of the light rail system in Monterrey.

The rail cars are among the 26 wagons built by China's rolling-stock maker CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive Co., Ltd., and expected to ply in three lines of the light rail system.

CRRC Zhuzhou is set to carry out "static, electrical and dynamic tests, accompanied by Metrorrey technicians," the statement said.

"Tests will be done before Jan 15," said Noe Chavez Montemayor, director of Nuevo Leon's Institute of Mobility and Accessibility. "These wagons can work on all metro lines, but they will be used on lines 2 and 3."

The ready-made trains, measuring 29.5 meters long and 2.69 meters wide, are designed to travel at a speed of 80 km per hour and can carry up to 355 passengers, according to data provided by the Chinese company.