National Railways of Mexico was a state-owned company, operating in central and north-eastern regions of Mexico. In 1938 President Cardenas nationalised the Mexican railway system creating National Railways of Mexico. In 1959 a presidential decree merged the British-owned Ferrocarril Mexicano, of which the Mexican government gained control in 1946, with the National Railways of Mexico, bringing a line from Mexico City to Veracruz established in 1873 under state operation. Between 1997 and 1999 operations of the former Ferrocarriles Nacionales de Mexico were privatised to concessionaires (KCSM, FXE, FSRR, FTVM, LFCD, FIT, CGR, BJR).