On Monday, September 8, 2025, a devastating collision between a freight train and a double-decker bus unfolded in the industrial outskirts of Atlacomulco, a town roughly 80 miles (130 kilometers) northwest of Mexico City. The impact was so severe that, according to CTV News and other major outlets, at least ten people lost their lives, while dozens more were left injured, some critically. The accident site, surrounded by warehouses and factories, quickly became the center of a frantic rescue operation and a growing national conversation about transportation safety.
The bus involved belonged to the Herradura de Plata line, a company that has long served commuters in the region. On that fateful morning, the double-decker vehicle was making its way through heavy traffic, inching slowly across a set of train tracks that, as eyewitness video later revealed, had no visible crossing gates or warning signals. Just moments before tragedy struck, cars could be seen crossing the tracks as traffic advanced, while vehicles traveling in the opposite direction had stopped short of the crossing. In a chilling sequence captured by a bystander, a motorcycle zipped across the rails seconds before the collision, narrowly avoiding disaster.
Then, in a split second, the fast-moving freight train—operated by Canadian Pacific Kansas City of Mexico—came barreling into view. It slammed into the passenger side of the bus, striking it at its midpoint. The force of the impact was immense, tearing the bus apart and dragging it down the tracks, out of the camera's frame. The aftermath was harrowing: the roof of the bus was sheared off, and people on the top level were left exposed and desperate. In one video, as rescuers and survivors scrambled, a woman could be heard crying, “help me, help me,” her voice echoing the chaos and fear that gripped the scene.
Authorities responded swiftly. The state of Mexico’s civil defense agency reported on X (formerly Twitter) that emergency crews were still working at the accident site hours after the crash, tending to the injured and searching for survivors. Initial reports from the agency confirmed at least eight fatalities and 45 injuries, though later updates from outlets such as CTV News raised the death toll to at least ten. The full extent of the injuries—ranging from minor cuts to severe trauma—remained unclear as hospitals in the region braced for a surge of patients.
Canadian Pacific Kansas City of Mexico, the company responsible for the train, quickly acknowledged the tragedy. In a statement, the Calgary-based firm expressed its condolences to the families of the victims and pledged full cooperation with the ongoing investigation. “Our personnel are on site and cooperating with authorities,” the company confirmed, making clear its intent to assist in determining exactly how such a catastrophic event could have occurred.
The bus company, Herradura de Plata, did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the press. As families of the victims gathered at local hospitals and morgues, questions began to swirl about how a routine commute could have ended in such devastation. The lack of crossing gates or warning signals at the site of the crash quickly became a focal point of public outrage. In the video footage circulated online, the absence of basic safety infrastructure is glaring—no flashing lights, no lowering barriers, nothing to alert drivers and pedestrians to the imminent danger of an oncoming train.
For many residents of Atlacomulco and the surrounding areas, this was not the first time concerns had been raised about rail safety. The industrial zone, with its maze of warehouses and factories, is crisscrossed by train tracks that see frequent traffic from both freight and passenger vehicles. Yet, as Monday’s tragedy made painfully clear, the infrastructure has not kept pace with the demands of modern transportation or the safety needs of the local population.
According to the Associated Press, authorities had not immediately provided a detailed account of how the accident unfolded. But the available evidence—particularly the videos shared on social media—painted a picture of a preventable disaster. The bus, caught in the slow crawl of morning traffic, began to cross the tracks just as the train approached. With no barriers to stop it and no warning lights to alert the driver, the bus was left exposed. The train, unable to stop in time, struck with devastating results.
As the investigation continues, attention has turned to the broader issue of rail crossing safety in Mexico. Experts and advocates have long warned that many crossings, especially in industrial and rural areas, lack even the most basic protections. The absence of crossing gates, warning lights, and audible alarms leaves drivers and pedestrians vulnerable, particularly during busy periods when traffic can back up onto the tracks.
In the wake of the crash, local officials have promised a thorough review of safety protocols and infrastructure. “We cannot allow such a tragedy to happen again,” one municipal leader was quoted as saying in local media. Yet for the families of the victims, such assurances offer little comfort in the face of overwhelming loss.
The emotional toll of the accident has been immense. Scenes from the crash site showed first responders carrying survivors to ambulances, while others searched through the wreckage for signs of life. The community of Atlacomulco, like so many others touched by sudden tragedy, has been left to mourn and to question how such a calamity could occur in the heart of a bustling industrial hub.
The story has also reverberated beyond Mexico’s borders, drawing attention from international media and transportation safety experts. The involvement of Canadian Pacific Kansas City of Mexico, a major North American rail operator, has underscored the interconnected nature of modern logistics—and the shared responsibility for safety that comes with it.
In the days ahead, investigators will sift through the wreckage, review video footage, and interview witnesses in an effort to piece together a definitive account of what went wrong. For now, though, the facts are stark: a freight train, a crowded bus, and a crossing with no gates or signals combined to produce a tragedy that has shaken a community and reignited calls for urgent action on transportation safety.
As the sun set over Atlacomulco on Monday evening, the shattered remains of the bus stood as a grim reminder of the lives lost and the urgent work that lies ahead. The hope, shared by many, is that the lessons learned from this disaster will spur real change—so that no family has to endure such heartbreak again.