Justification for the reuse of abandoned railway infrastructure; Case of the Muñoz-Chignahuapan Branch Line, Puebla-Tlaxcala, Mexico

Abstract

The abandonment of railway infrastructure in Mexico and other regions has led to deteriorated spaces that pose environmental and social risks. Although the railway was the engine of economic and social development between the 19th and 20th centuries, its decline was due to the emergence of new forms of transportation, and in the case of Mexico, its privatization in 1995 reduced passenger service. This study examines the Muñoz–Chignahuapan branch line (1906–1957), whose material heritage fell into disuse, highlighting stations and pathways now integrated into local uses or abandoned. It proposes their reuse as cultural heritage, supported by the Federal Law on Monuments and Archaeological, Artistic, and Historical Zones (1972) and theories of industrial heritage conservation. Experiences such as the Mariachi Greenway (Mexico) demonstrate that the reuse of railway spaces promotes heritage conservation, identity, social cohesion, and urban development. The reuse and sustainability approach is proposed as a way to rescue stations and buildings, integrating historical and cultural values. The qualitative methodology used included fieldwork, digital mapping, and document review. Therefore, the recovery of vestiges of the branch line not only preserves historical memory and contributes to the construction of identity, but also offers opportunities for cultural, social, and economic development through responsible contemporary use.