Here's a picture I took on April 01, 2000 when I rode a special three-car High Iron Travel inspection train organized by Clark Johnson and Nona Hill that explored pretty much all of the KCSdeM system, which at that time was known as TFM. Mike Haverty was in charge of KCS and KCSdeM at the time and, unlike his predecessor, was receptive to running special passenger trains on his railroad. Sometimes a change at the top can make all the difference. As part of my 27th installment, I provided a link for a map for "Peter D" that showed an extremely contorted section of railroad between Ajuno and Uruapan. The line has since been abandoned and replaced by a newer, better-engineered line, and the map showed both the old and new lines. This photo was take on the new line as we were returning from a trip to Lazaro Cardenas.

Before privatization, the Mexican government spent a lot of money building an all new 183 kilometer railroad off of an existing line through rugged mountains to extend all the way to the Pacific Ocean and the new port. In a political move, a steel mill was even built in Lazaro Cardenas to assure the line's success. The line relocation between Uruapan (actually Caltzontzin) and Ajuno was necessary so that heavy freight trains coming up from the port wouldn't have to negotiate those torturous twists, turns and grades that were shown on that map on the old line.

How rare. I posted a photo of a rail line in Mexico that is still in use and hasn't been ripped up! One problem that KCSdeM has had with this line over the years has been certain groups frequently setting up blockades on it because they have a beef with the government over something. It's frequently farmers and school teachers. It's similar to how the First Nations / Indigenous People / Natives / Indians (choose one) frequently like to set up blockades on Canadian rail lines.