MEXICO CITY, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Mexican government will invite global bids on the proposed Maya Train project, which involves the construction of seven railways through southeastern states, an official source said Tuesday.
Related agencies were preparing for the invitation of bids, including the Mexican Ministry of Communication and Transport and the United Nations Office for Project Services, said Rogelio Jimenez Pons, director of the National Tourism Development Fund, at a press conference.
"We will be launching the bidding shortly," Jimenez said.
Building the rails will take several months, and the tenderer hopes "to have them in advance," Jimenez said.
Countries such as China, Japan, Germany and the United States are leading manufacturers of high-specification rails needed for the project, he said.
The rails should comply with the standards set by the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association so that the cargo trains leaving Mexico "can reach the United States or Canada," he said.
As one of the government's most ambitious infrastructure plans, the Maya Train project is envisioned to serve the tourism and export industries, by linking the southeastern states of Campeche, Yucatan, Quintana Roo, Tabasco and Chiapas.
