Mexican defense ministry to take over Maya train supervision

Supervision of construction of Mexico’s more than 200bn-peso (US$10bn) Maya train will be transferred from the national tourism board (Fonatur) to defense ministry (Sedena) in September, after the former’s head, Javier May (in photo), resigns to campaign in Tabasco state’s governorship election.

“I have talked with the president and we have already started the transferring process to Sedena,” May said during an interview with local broadcaster XEVT.

May succeeded Rogelio Jiménez Pons in January 2022 after President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) saw “little commitment” to the project. The current Fonatur director is a former lawmaker and mayor of Comalcalco municipality in Tabasco state, where AMLO was born. 

Media had already reported that May would resign from his post to begin campaigning in Tabasco, one of the nine states that will have a governorship election in 2024 along with the presidential race and the renewal of both chambers of congress. But it was not clear whether a civil official would continue to oversee the rail project. 

The armed forces are already involved in the construction of the 1,500km passenger and freight line that will connect five states in the southeast – Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán and Quintana Roo.

In over four years in office, López Obrador has assigned the army to take over construction of stretches 5 (254km from Cancun-Tulum in Quintana Roo); 6 (254km from Tulum-Chetumal in Quintana Roo); and 7 (287km from Bacalar-Escárcega in Quintana Roo and Campeche).

And Sedena has also created a company to operate the new railway, which will supposedly be opened in December. 

As far as progress goes, Fonatur reported that stretch 1 is completed and, over the weekend, the board delivered a wagon to Cancún so workers could begin testing the rail line.