en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Mexican Agency for Trains and Integrated Public Transport (ATTRAPI) has launched an international public tender for 5G communication systems on two passenger railway corridors, covering system design, equipment supply, installation, commissioning, and maintenance. The two corridors total approximately 675 kilometers in length. Bids are scheduled to be submitted and opened on September 14, with the tender results planned to be announced on September 25.
The tender, numbered LO-09-JZO-009JZO001-T-36-2026, adopts an electronic public tender method covered by international treaties. The scope of construction includes the Mexico City–Querétaro–Irapuato corridor and the Saltillo–Nuevo Laredo corridor. Bids must be submitted in Spanish, and the quotation currency is the Mexican Peso.
The procurement target is a railway-dedicated 5G Standalone (SA) wireless communication system. The winning bidder will be responsible for network design, software and hardware supply, installation along the route, system startup and commissioning, and subsequent maintenance, establishing continuous communication between trains, wayside railway facilities, and the operations control center, providing data transmission capabilities for train signaling, safety control, and operations management.
Technical requirements in the tender documents indicate that the communication network availability must reach 99.9%, stable coverage must be achieved inside trains, and critical communication response time should be below 50 milliseconds. The project integrates the 5G communication system into the railway signaling and safety framework. The network construction is not merely public mobile communication coverage along the route but must also meet the requirements of low latency, continuous coverage, and system reliability for train operation control scenarios.
According to the tender schedule, no site visit will be organized for the project. The tendering party cited the approximately 675-kilometer span of the route as the reason for not arranging a unified site inspection. A clarification meeting was held on August 10. Bidders will submit their technical and commercial proposals on September 14, and the tendering party plans to complete evaluation and announce results on September 25.
The scope of services covered by the tender documents spans from 2026 to 2030. The contract arrangements include a 20% advance payment, performance guarantee, and a 12-month latent defects warranty. The project is tentatively scheduled to enter the implementation phase on October 1, 2026, with the specific schedule subject to the bid evaluation results, contract signing, and subsequent execution arrangements.
Project Extension:
Mexico 675 km Railway 5G Communication System Project
I. Basic Project Information
| Project Field | Project Information |
|---|---|
| Project Name | 5G Communication Network for the Mexico City–Querétaro–Irapuato and Saltillo–Nuevo Laredo Railways |
| Country | Mexico |
| Industry | Railway Engineering, Information and Communication Technology, Railway Signaling and Safety Systems |
| Project Nature | New railway-dedicated communication system |
| Current Stage | International public tender |
| Tender Number | LO-09-JZO-009JZO001-T-36-2026 |
| E-Procurement Number | E-2026-00060335 |
| Tender Method | Electronic international public tender covered by international treaties |
| Total Route Length | Approximately 675 km |
| Implementation Period | Planned to cover 2026 to 2030 |
| Quotation Currency | Mexican Peso |
| Bid Language | Spanish |
| Budget Amount | Not disclosed in the official public summary |
II. Project Owner and Procuring Entity
Tendering Party: Mexican Agency for Trains and Integrated Public Transport
Spanish Name: Agencia de Trenes y Transporte Público Integrado
Agency Abbreviation: ATTRAPI
Supervisory Authority: Mexican Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transport
Tender Contact Person: Efraín Deschamps Gutiérrez de Velasco
Contact Title: Head of the Construction Department
Contact Address: Avenida Universidad 1378, Colonia Santa Catarina, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México, C.P. 04010
Contact Phone: +52 55 5723 9300
Office Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00–15:00
The Mexican Agency for Trains and Integrated Public Transport is responsible for railway project planning, coordination, construction supervision, and the integration of rail transport with other public transportation systems. This 5G communication network procurement is organized and implemented by the agency's Construction Department.
III. Project Coverage Scope
Mexico City–Querétaro–Irapuato Railway Corridor
This corridor connects the Mexican capital, the state of Querétaro, and the state of Guanajuato, and is an important component of the passenger railway system in central Mexico.
Saltillo–Nuevo Laredo Railway Corridor
This corridor passes through the industrial and logistics regions of northern Mexico and extends to Nuevo Laredo, a city on the U.S.–Mexico border.
The combined length of the two railway corridors is approximately 675 kilometers.
The tendering party has not organized a unified site inspection. The announcement cites the large geographical span of the project as the reason for not arranging a site visit.
IV. Tender Procurement Scope
This tender adopts an integrated procurement model covering design, supply, installation, commissioning, and maintenance, with the scope of work explicitly defined as follows:
Design of the railway 5G Standalone communication system.
Supply of communication software, hardware, and supporting equipment.
Installation of communication facilities along the railway route.
System integration and startup commissioning.
Wireless network coverage inside trains.
Integration with railway signaling and safety communication systems.
Communication connectivity between trains, wayside railway facilities, and the operations control center.
Operation and maintenance of the communication network.
Performance guarantee and defects liability period services.
The subject of this procurement is not a general public mobile communication network, but a dedicated 5G communication system serving train signaling, safety control, and railway operations management.
V. Key Technical Specifications
| Technical Indicator | Tender Requirement |
|---|---|
| Network Architecture | 5G Standalone (SA) |
| Network Purpose | Railway signaling, safety control, and operations communication |
| Network Availability | 99.9% |
| Communication Response Time | Below 50 milliseconds |
| In-Train Coverage | Stable coverage required inside trains |
| Coverage Scenarios | Trains, wayside railway facilities, and operations control center |
| Maintenance Requirements | Includes system maintenance after project implementation |
| Defects Warranty | 12 months |
| Advance Payment | Contract includes 20% advance payment |
VI. Potential Equipment and Service Procurement Needs
The following content is derived from a reverse breakdown of the published system construction scope. Specific equipment quantities, communication frequency bands, technical standards, and procurement boundaries are subject to the complete technical annexes of the tender documents.
1. 5G Radio Access Equipment
(1) 5G base stations along the railway route.
(2) Macro base stations and distributed base station equipment.
(3) Remote radio units (RRUs).
(4) Baseband processing equipment.
(5) Railway-dedicated antennas and antenna feeder systems.
(6) Coverage equipment for tunnels, stations, and critical sections.
(7) In-train wireless coverage systems.
2. Core Network and Network Control Systems
(1) 5G Standalone core network.
(2) User plane and control plane equipment.
(3) Network slicing and service isolation systems.
(4) Network management and performance monitoring platform.
(5) Fault management and alarm system.
(6) Communication resource scheduling platform.
(7) Data storage and backup system.
3. Railway Onboard Communication Equipment
(1) Onboard 5G communication terminals.
(2) Onboard communication gateways.
(3) Roof-mounted and in-car antennas.
(4) Train communication control units.
(5) Train-to-ground data transmission equipment.
(6) In-car signal coverage and distribution equipment.
4. Optical Transmission and Supporting Facilities
(1) Communication optical fiber and cables.
(2) Optical transmission equipment.
(3) Industrial switches and routing equipment.
(4) Communication cabinets and outdoor integrated cabinets.
(5) Communication towers, poles, and mounting brackets.
(6) Grounding, lightning protection, and surge protection devices.
(7) Communication equipment room supporting facilities.
5. Power Supply and Backup Power Systems
(1) Communication power supply systems.
(2) UPS uninterruptible power supplies.
(3) Battery banks.
(4) Power monitoring equipment.
(5) Outdoor integrated energy cabinets.
(6) Emergency backup power generation equipment.
6. Network Security and System Integration
(1) 5G private network security equipment.
(2) Boundary protection and access control systems.
(3) Identity authentication and key management systems.
(4) Intrusion detection and security audit platforms.
(5) Railway signaling system interface development.
(6) System integration, testing, and acceptance services.
(7) Operations and maintenance training and technical support.
The above products do not represent independent procurement packages. The winning bidder may procure the equipment as part of the system integration contract, or may release procurement requirements to specialized equipment manufacturers and subcontractors after award.
VII. Tender Schedule
| Date | Project Milestone |
|---|---|
| July 31, 2026 | Tender documents dated |
| August 3, 2026 | Tender notice published on the ComprasMX platform |
| August 6, 2026 | Tender summary published in Mexico's Official Gazette of the Federation |
| August 10, 2026 | Tender clarification meeting held |
| September 14, 2026, 11:00 | Submission and opening of bids |
| September 25, 2026, 17:00 | Planned announcement of bid evaluation results |
| October 1, 2026 | Project tentatively enters implementation phase |
| 2026 to 2030 | Planned contract execution period |
| After contract performance | 12-month defects liability period applies |
VIII. Potential Participation Pathways
1. Direct Participation in the International Tender
Suitable for large communication and railway signaling enterprises with experience in railway-dedicated communication system integration, the ability to submit bid documents in Spanish, and the capacity to perform under Mexican public procurement contracts.
Conditions that require further verification include:
(1) Applicability of international treaties.
(2) Bidder registration requirements.
(3) Railway communication project experience requirements.
(4) Financial and technical qualification thresholds for bidders.
(5) Bid security and performance guarantee requirements.
(6) Equipment origin and localization requirements.
2. Forming a Consortium with Mexican Companies
Suitable for companies with 5G equipment, railway communication technology, or system integration capabilities, but lacking experience in performing Mexican local public projects.
Potential partners to engage include:
(1) Mexican railway engineering contractors.
(2) Mexican communication system integrators.
(3) Railway signaling and automation companies.
(4) Local engineering installation and maintenance service providers.
(5) Bid agencies familiar with Mexican government procurement procedures.
Whether consortium bidding is permitted, and the responsibilities of each consortium member, shall be subject to the complete tender documents.
3. Entering the Winning Bidder's Tier-2 Supply Chain
For manufacturers of individual equipment items, this pathway is more practical. After the award results are announced, the following products can be targeted for engagement with the general contractor or system integrator:
(1) 5G base stations and radio frequency equipment.
(2) Railway-dedicated antennas and in-train coverage equipment.
(3) Optical fiber, optical cables, and optical transmission equipment.
(4) Industrial switches and routing equipment.
(5) Communication power supplies and UPS.
(6) Outdoor communication cabinets.
(7) Lightning protection and grounding equipment.
(8) Network security systems.
(9) Onboard communication terminals.
(10) Communication test instruments and maintenance tools.
IX. Project Participation Challenges
Bid documents must be submitted in Spanish.
Quotations must be submitted in Mexican Pesos.
The project involves railway safety-related communication systems with high requirements for reliability, low latency, and continuous coverage.
The total route length is approximately 675 km, requiring the contractor to have cross-regional installation and long-term maintenance capabilities.
The bidding period is relatively short, with bid opening scheduled for September 14, 2026.
The project includes long-term maintenance, requiring participants to have local technical support capabilities in Mexico.
Direct bidding may involve international treaty, equipment origin, and local procurement compliance requirements.
The tender budget, communication frequency bands, number of sites, and detailed equipment lists still need to be confirmed from the complete tender annexes.
X. Key Items for Subsequent Tracking
Obtain the minutes of the August 10, 2026 tender clarification meeting.
Verify whether the tender documents have been amended.
Verify whether the bid submission deadline has been adjusted.
Obtain the complete technical annexes and bill of quantities.
Verify the 5G frequency bands, number of base stations, and scale of onboard equipment.
Verify consortium, equipment origin, and localization qualification requirements.
Track the list of companies and consortia participating in the bid on September 14, 2026.
Track the award results, contract amount, and scope of award on September 25, 2026.
Identify the equipment suppliers and specialized subcontractors subsequently selected by the winning bidder.
Track contract signing and project implementation notices around October 1, 2026.
Establish a timeline of design, supply, installation, commissioning, and maintenance milestones from 2026 to 2030.
