Mexico expands passenger rail network while Spain seeks €3.3 bn yearly for bus electrification

Mexico’s government is advancing a passenger‑rail expansion that will require new stations, tracks and, crucially, coordinated urban‑planning measures. SEDATU’s director general of Territorial Policy and Mobility, Fabiola Olivares, said the agency will work with state and municipal authorities to develop zoning studies, mobility strategies and housing plans around each future station, linking the effort to the General Mobility and Road Safety Law and the National Mobility Strategy.

In Spain, transport operators and policymakers estimate a need for €3.3 billion each year through 2030 to electrify the public‑bus fleet. The plan calls for 7,670 urban buses and 3,835 metropolitan buses, plus additional metro and rail vehicles, with electric buses costing roughly double the price of diesel models. According to Jesús Herrero, secretary‑general of ATUC, the required investment also covers charging stations (about €50 000 per vehicle) and garage adaptations (≈ €55 000 per depot), highlighting the financial challenge of meeting the EU‑mandated 65 % electric‑vehicle purchase target by 2030.