It’s been a full year since the Yucatan Peninsula’s Maya Train, or Tren Maya, celebrated its inaugural departure on December 15, 2023, for its first section connecting Cancun to Mérida. Former Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador set this ambitious, multibillion-dollar. Project in motion in 2018.
On Sunday, Mexico’s new president, Claudia Sheinbaum, inaugurated the final section between Escarcega and Chetumal, completing a nearly 1,000-mile rail network that runs in loops over five Mexican states and 34 stations.
While the Maya Train offers tourists and locals a new way to get around Quintana Roo, Yucatan, Chiapas, Campeche and Tabasco, it is not without its controversies.
Here’s what you need to know about this new train route to Mexico.
Maya Train Routes and Main Stations
Maya Train operates three main routes:
- Cancun to Palenque
- Cancun to Chetumal International Airport (CTM)
- Escarsega to Chetumal International Airport
Andrés Martínez, Director of the Quintana Roo Tourism Board, highlights the importance of the Cancun International Airport (CUN) station, calling it the “fundamental station” and the “heart” of the train system. From Cancun, travelers can head west to Merida, Yucatan’s capital city, or south to Palenque and its misty forest archeological ruins, and Chetumal, the capital of the Quintana Roo that covers the entire southern peninsula.
Currently, Quintana Roo is the most traveled route on the coast of the Caribbean Sea, connecting stations such as Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Tulum (which has two stops, including). Tulum’s new airport and downtown Tulum), Beklar and Chetumal.
Designed for more than a transit system, Maya train stations are becoming thematic attractions. “It’s not just going from point A to point B,” Martinez said. “The experience of visiting the station will be something different.”
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Tulum station, for instance, is connected to the newly inaugurated Jaguar Park, which opened in September. This protected nature reserve has bike paths and a small museum featuring local artifacts and regional art — and is connected to the Tulum archaeological site.
Classes of Service and Expenditure
“Standard Trains” currently serve two classes: Tourist Class and Premier Class. Both provide a comfortable ride along the jungle and peninsula. Premier Class, however, has a more spacious seating arrangement with three seats instead of four and includes a complimentary box lunch.
Dining and sleeper trains are still being developed for long-distance routes, such as Cancun to Palenque, an 11-hour journey.
Maya train tickets can be purchased at all stations. You allegedly can too Prebook online on this websiteHowever whenever I put in my desired stations and travel dates, the website told me that it was unable to find the timetable. Tickets can cost anywhere from 40 pesos ($1.98) to 4,500 pesos ($223), depending on the ticket class and distance.
Impact on tourism and local communities
Martinez emphasized the dual benefits of the Maya train, noting that it is “not only for tourists but also for locals.” The train provides connectivity for residents, especially those commuting to work at resorts in the region. “It’s a big infrastructure facility,” he says.
The train offers tourists an alternative way to explore the peninsula without renting a car. It also connects the region’s major airports, a boon for travelers who don’t want to book expensive transport shuttles or private drivers.
That said, just because it’s operational doesn’t mean things always run smoothly. Apart from the hassles of online booking, The New York Times reported in April That scheduling problems and incomplete stations have left commuters feeling confused.
Environmental and social concerns
Despite its promises, the Maya Train has been the subject of considerable controversy. Environmentalists have raised concerns about the impact of construction on fragile ecosystems, especially forested areas that are home to endangered species. In addition, activists expressed protest over the potential disruption to local Mayan communities, some of whom felt their voices were not sufficiently included in the planning process.
In 2022, for example, conservation groups filed complaints with the Environment Ministry in Samarnat, Mexico, citing the government’s inaccuracy in assessing the environmental impacts of some sections of the train.
“Mexico officials failed to take into account the environmental damage of the Maya train, but we know it poses a great threat to jaguars and other wildlife,” said Alejandro Oliveira, Mexico’s representative for the Center for Biological Diversity. said in a statement. “The government’s analysis failed to meaningfully address the risks from bulldozing vegetation to running trains. In 67 km of this section, there will be only two wildlife crossings for jaguars and ocelots and 15 km of track will have no wildlife crossings. If this goes ahead, of A disaster for some would be the rare animals of Mexico.”
The Center for Biological Diversity has also said the project violates local regulations regarding dredging, filling, excavation, cenote expansion and vegetation removal.
Looking forward
While the Maya Train has faced polarizing conversations, it has redefined travel in the Yucatan Peninsula. As its stations are completed, travelers have a whole new way to get closer to places throughout southern Mexico that were once more difficult to reach.
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