Mexico changes Maya train route twice in a month

The route and construction schedule of the Mexican government’s Maya train project has been changed yet again, making it two modifications in August alone.

The US$417mn section passing through the state of Yucatán will no longer feature a station at La Plancha in state capital Mérida, but instead on the outskirts of the city around the town of Teya, national tourism board Fonatur said in a statement.

The station is one of four on the third stretch of the massive project. The 174km route will also stop at Maxcanu, Tixcocob and Izamal. 

The decision was made in response to studies that showed construction time would decrease with the revised route, and that many logistical construction and mobility problems would be avoided, said Fonatur. The current schedule says the project will finish by 2024.

Fonatur director Rogelio Jiménez Pons told a press conference that the Maya train’s Campeche section would be moved in response to public outcry from residents of state capital, Campeche City. Part of the controversy was that 300 families were going to be relocated to accommodate construction.

The change involves rerouting the US$771mn second stretch around Campeche City instead of passing through it. The modification is expected to save the project around 2bn pesos (US$100mn), Jiménez said.

Water collaboration

Fonatur also said it signed an collaboration agreement with water authority Conagua to ensure the project complies with the country’s water regulations. 

In addition to developing the infrastructure for the Maya train, the project also involves providing basic services in the towns where the train will pass, such as access to drinking water, and protecting water sources along the train's route.