“Tren Maya” railway project: On the tourist train through the jungle

Millions of tourists are expected to travel through Mexico on the new “Tren Maya” railway line in the future. While residents hope for jobs, environmentalists criticize the mammoth project.

White beaches, historic ruins and nature reserves surround the route of the new tourist railway in Mexico. So far only a section of the “Tren Maya” has been completed – but it is now to be ceremoniously inaugurated. Those interested were able to take an initial test drive in advance, from Campeche to the Caribbean beach of Cancún. If everything goes according to plan, the entire 1,554-kilometer route with all 34 stations in five states should be in operation by the end of February.

The train is expected to transport millions of tourists through the Yucatán Peninsula and neighboring states. It will make Mexico’s cultural wealth and the history of the Maya accessible to travelers, explains Diego Prieto, director of the National Institute of Anthropology and History: “From now on, the train will take tourists as well as locals to ancient historical sites and important relics.” The railway line runs through the Selva Maya, where the Mayan civilization once built powerful cities such as Chichén Itzá, Palenque and Calcamul, whose ruins can be visited today.

Prestige project of the President

Construction of the train project began around three and a half years ago. Not only the southeast, the region around the Yucatán Peninsula, would be economically advantaged, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador recently announced in his morning press conference. “The Tren Maya is good for the entire country,” said the politician. “Parts for the iron structure were manufactured in Jalisco. The cement comes from Nuevo Leon. The wagons are produced in Hidalgo.”

European companies are also involved, including a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn, which was called in to provide advice. It is the Mexican president’s central prestige project. The costs for this have long since exploded and the budget has been increased again and again. The original eight billion has now become $20 billion. The government keeps finding ways to divert money.

Thousands of hectares of forest cut down

A majority of people in the region support the rail project. They hope that with the “Tren Maya” jobs will be created, prosperity will come, and even more tourists will be attracted not only during construction, but also in the future.

Environmentalists, however, are sounding the alarm. Thousands of hectares of jungle were cut down. Environmental activist and speleologist Raúl Padilla also criticizes the construction over extremely sensitive terrain. The cenotes, the underground lakes and the entire underground cave landscape would be endangered by a train rushing over them. In addition, there are the effects that this path through the middle of the jungle has on the ecosystem.

“There are endangered species that are under special protection. The jaguar is native here in the jungle and this region falls within the area of ​​section five of the Tren Maya,” said Padilla. “These caves, these biological corridors are very fragile. In addition to the jaguar, there are also monkeys and many other animals and species, all the flora and fauna that are part of the sensitive ecosystem.”

The United Nations is also concerned

The route had to be changed several times due to protests. Environmental organizations denounce that the mandatory environmental reports were not obtained in time.

The UN also expressed concern about the negative impact of the Mayan train. There have been anonymous threats and attacks on environmental activists in the past. The United Nations also criticizes the military’s involvement in the construction work. Human rights activists criticize the division of communities and the militarization of the region.