Maya train stretch 5 could cost Mexico up to US$2.3bn

The fifth stretch of the US$7.5bn Maya train could cost the Mexican government 25.6bn-46.6bn pesos (US$1.2bn-2.3bn), according to bids submitted by 13 consortiums. 

So far, the most expensive railway section awarded, stretch four, has a price tag of 27bn pesos.

Tourism board Fonatur, tasked with supervising the project, has received two sets of economic and technical offers this month to construct the two segments that will make up the 121km stretch in Quintana Roo state. 

The board is now preparing to pick one or two winning consortiums by February, unless none of the 19 proposals presented for both sections is found feasible and the tender is declared void.

The Cancún-Tulum stretch was split into northern and southern sections last October, after two previous modifications to the original plan. 

Bids for the southern section, between vacation hub Tulum and Playa del Carmen, range from 15.3bn pesos to 28.1bn pesos. Nine consortiums submitted the offers on January 15 and the winner will be presented on Friday. 

Meanwhile, bids for the northern section, connecting Cancún international airport and Playa del Carmen, were uploaded on procurement site Compranet on Wednesday. The 10 bids range from 10.3bn pesos to 18.5bn pesos. Fonatur will announce the winner of this contract on February 10, according to the most recent modified calendar. 

Both sections of the line require building an elevated rail viaduct and a line in the middle of the Cancún-Tulum highway, so the project will also include highway widening and complementary works. 

This will be the last stretch of the 1,500km freight and passenger railway project to be awarded to the private sector. Stretches six and seven will be assigned to the defense ministry (Sedena). 

• Stretch 1 (Palenque-Escárcega): 13bn pesos
• Stretch 2 (Escárcega-Calkiní): 18.6bn pesos
• Stretch 3 (Calkiní-Izamal): 10.2bn pesos
• Stretch 4 (Izamal-Cancún): 27bn pesos
• Stretch 5 (Cancún-Tulum): 25.6bn-46.6bn pesos

BIDDERS

Some bidders have submitted offers for other Maya train stretches, but have not won a contract yet. Others, however, have won contracts but decided to go for more.

Among the participants that have already been awarded a stretch are Mota-Engil México, which leads the consortium that won the 13bn-peso contract for stretch one in April.

Mexico’s Operadora CICSA and Spain’s FCC Construcción– both controlled by business mogul Carlos Slim – won the 18.6bn-peso contract for stretch two at the end of April. Gami Ingenieria e Instalaciones is leading the consortium that won stretch three in May, and Mexico’s ICA Infraestructura snapped up the 27bn-peso fourth section last June in a no-bid contest. 

Some of the previous winners have even teamed up to compete in the stretch five tender. 

Besides regular bidders, highlighted in the table below are also consortiums that presented joint offers for both sections.