Railways Portals: Architectural typology of the old passenger stations in Nuevo León

Abstract

This work proposes a typology of the passenger railway stations of Nuevo León, which fell into disuse after the extinction of Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México, and the concession of the railway tracks to private initiative. To accomplish this, we conducted a review of the architectural particularities, the historical context in which they were built, as well as the heritage value that is conferred on them today. It is worth mentioning that the typology is the product of documentary research, but mainly field research began more than five years ago. In this sense, the text is accompanied by photographs taken by the authors. The objective of the research is to make visible the potential of railway stations to form part of the state's cultural heritage, especially for the communities near them. We must not forget that the stations were nerve centers of the economic and social activity of the towns. In this sense, they occupy a special place in the collective memory of the communities.