The Ferrocarril de Veracruz al Istmo (Vera Cruz and Isthmus Railway) was one of the primary pre-nationalization

Nationalization

Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...

 railways of Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

. Incorporated in West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...

 in 1898 as the Vera Cruz and Pacific Railroad (Ferrocarril de Veracruz al Pacífico), it built a line from Córdoba

Córdoba, Veracruz

Córdoba, officially known as Heroica Córdoba, is a city and the seat of the municipality of the same name in the Mexican state of Veracruz. It was founded in 1618....

 to Jesús Carranza

Jesús Carranza, Veracruz

Jesus Carranza is a town and municipality located in the State of Veracruz, in Mexico. The town has an area of 486.32 kilometers squared. It represents about 0.67 percent of the State of Veracruz. Jesus Carranza borders the State of Oaxaca to its west. It is located 435 kilometers from the...

 on the Tehuantepec National Railway, with a branch from Veracruz

Veracruz, Veracruz

Veracruz, officially known as Heroica Veracruz, is a major port city and municipality on the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The city is located in the central part of the state. It is located along Federal Highway 140 from the state capital Xalapa, and is the state's most...

 to Tierra Blanca

Tierra Blanca, Veracruz

Tierra Blanca is a city and its surrounding municipality of the same name located in the south-central part of the state of Veracruz in Mexico. At the 2005 census the city had a population of 44,171 inhabitants. The city serves as the municipal seat of the municipality, which has an area of...

. The Mexican government gained control in May 1904 and organized the Ferrocarril de Veracruz al Istmo to operate the property under lease.

Control was transferred to the government-owned Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México

Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México

Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México, was Mexico's state owned railroad company from 1938 to 1998, and prior to 1938 a major railroad controlled by the government that linked Mexico City to the major cities of Nuevo Laredo and Ciudad Juárez on the U.S. border...

 (National Railways of Mexico) in 1910, and in November 1913 that company took over the property and operations. Following privatization

Privatization

Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...

 in the 1990s, Ferrosur acquired the former Veracruz al Istmo.