Buenavista-AIFA Train Damages Homes, Triggers Protests in Mexico

Mexico's New Train Sparks Outrage as Homes Crack and Protests Derail Operations

Tultepec, Mexico — "Seeing our house cracked and thinking it might collapse kept us up at night for a long time. Then, when repairs finally started, we felt some relief—until the funding dried up. It's been a slow process, but we still trust they'll come through for all of us. The train's arrival changed everything here, from how we get around to how we live," recounted a resident of Santiago Teyahualco, as the Buenavista-AIFA Train began operations in the area.

Fearful that repairs to his home—one of 156 houses damaged by the railway project—would never be completed, the resident asked to remain anonymous. Yet he emphasized that the community, despite staging protests and work stoppages, was never opposed to development. "We just wanted fairness and justice for the harm done to us," he said.

"The houses being repaired aren't getting fixed out of goodwill—they're being fixed because they came in and damaged them. The work isn't finished, the full funding hasn't come through, and many of us are still being given the runaround while our homes sit half-built. We're waiting for them to keep their word, and I still believe they will," declared the Tultepec resident.

In total, the federal government recorded 156 damaged homes, including 14 with severe structural issues that required demolition. Rebuilding and repairing these properties will cost the National Housing Commission 48 million pesos.

Another affected resident, Enrique Fragoso, saw his home of 30 years on Doctores Avenue demolished after cracks appeared in the walls, beams, and slab. "We suffered a lot," he said. "We told them again and again, but they didn't listen. Then they told us the house was at risk of collapse."

In Tultepec, residents demanded mitigation measures tied to the construction, including drainage infrastructure, pedestrian bridges, road paving, compensation for local businesses, and repairs for damaged homes.

"When the train project was announced, we thought it could benefit the whole town. But what was once a quiet place isn't quiet anymore—our streets have been narrowed, and for those of us with businesses, the impact has been devastating," said Alberto García, a Teyahualco resident.

Germán Urbán noted that during protests, the community warned the federal government about potential flooding during the rainy season, insisting that rail construction be halted until a solution was presented. "We demanded drainage improvements near the 10 de Junio neighborhood, and they followed through. Now we'll see if the system holds when the heavy rains come. We're still anxious—everything's been made smaller, and we're afraid of flooding. They say they installed proper drainage, but we'll have to take their word for it," Urbán added.

As the railway infrastructure took shape, residents of Teyahualco halted construction in late July 2024 over unaddressed damages. The protest lasted a week, and in August 2024, after reaching agreements with the federal government, work resumed.

By November of that year, locals had completely shut down operations at Los Agaves station (now La Loma) and Teyahualco, extending the stoppage to the train tracks and elevated viaduct. It wasn't until March 2025 that protesters reached a deal, allowing work to restart at La Loma. In August, construction on Teyahualco station and the viaduct resumed after further agreements on home repairs.

Residents in the neighborhoods of Bosques de Tultitlán, Cocem, and Lázaro Cárdenas also staged three separate protests against the AIFA-bound train project.

"I moved to Tultitlán planning to build my life here 100%. But then these so-called 'progress' projects came along, with such severe consequences, and month after month, I saw no improvements. I'd rather move than stay and risk flooding again. I left because, from what I could tell, the project was poorly planned, and it's hurting all of us. Walls collapsed, water flooded homes. That's why I got out," explained Fabiola Juárez, who chose to relocate after five years in Bosques de Tultitlán.