Map of the Mexican Central Railway and Connections

The Mexican Central Railway near the end of the 19th century.

The presidency of Porfirio Diaz saw an explosion of railroad construction across Mexico during the last quarter of the 19th century. Lured by generous land concessions and government subsidies, foreign investors oversaw the organization of the Mexican International Railroad (chartered in Connecticut) and the Mexican Central Railway (chartered in Massachusetts).

This map shows the lines of the latter, affiliated with the Atchison, Topeka & Sante Fe Railroad, connecting Mexico City to the United States via Ciudad Juarez and Ciudad Porfirio Diaz (both renamed in 1888). Steamship connections are also noted and an elevation profile of the various routes can be seen in the lower left. The verso presents several advertisements for the Mexican Central, timetables, descriptive text and views of ‘places worth seeing’ along the lines.

Engraved and copywritten by the Poole Brothers of Chicago, originally in 1892. This example, updated in 1898, was printed in Boston by Charles D. Fish on behalf of the Mexican Central Railways. Laws passed that same year attempted to address the numerous issues that occurred as a result of the rapid growth of the railroads. Variations in gauge and track size, conflicting ownership, and expensive subsidy bills forced the government to restrict further external investment and limit new construction. http://www.houstonculture.org/hispanic/roads.html

Sources: Mexico’s Golden Age of Railways, Houston Institute for Culture