At least thirteen people have been killed and nearly one hundred injured after a major passenger train derailed in southern Mexico, an accident set to reignite fierce debate over the nation's flagship public works projects.
Rescue Operation Amidst the Wreckage
The derailment occurred on Sunday, 28 December 2025, on the Interoceanic Train near Nizanda in the state of Oaxaca. The train was travelling on the route to Coatzacoalcos when it left the tracks. Mexican army soldiers and civil protection members were swiftly deployed to the scene to rescue passengers from the overturned carriages.
President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed the casualty figures on Monday, stating that of the 250 people aboard, 98 were injured with five in a critical condition. She announced she would travel to Oaxaca to speak with those affected and pledged to “rigorously clarify what caused this accident”.
A Flagship Project Under Scrutiny
The Interoceanic Train is a cornerstone infrastructure project designed to link the Atlantic and Pacific oceans across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Conceived as a rail cargo alternative to the Panama Canal, it was intended to spur economic development in Mexico's poorer south-eastern regions.
The project was a flagship initiative of former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador (Amlo), a close ally of Sheinbaum, whose term ended last year. Its construction, along with the controversial £16bn Mayan Train around the Yucatán Peninsula, was overseen by the Mexican military as part of its expanded remit.
Both projects were built at an accelerated pace, opening partially before Amlo left office, but this speed has persistently raised concerns over safety standards and construction quality.
Mounting Pressure and Political Fallout
Sunday's tragic event marks the third incident on the Interoceanic Train line this year alone, following a collision at a crossing earlier in December. The Mayan Train has also experienced two non-fatal derailments since its launch.
The opposition has seized upon the disaster. Alejandro Moreno, leader of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), called for all such projects to be paused pending a full audit. “This tragedy … demands immediate answers,” the party stated on social media platform X.
In response, President Sheinbaum defended the project's safety record, insisting the train had operated with all required protocols. “We will be very responsible in the construction and operation [of these projects], as we have always been,” she asserted, even as the nation mourns and questions mount.
