Mexico: Mayan Train fails to attract as many passengers as expected

18-07-24

Mexico's Tren Maya, a multi-billion dollar tourism rail project initiated under the leadership of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, is half finished and has yet to reach the popularity and ridership expected.

The Tren Maya came with some concerns: environmentalists warned of environmental damage to the rail line as jungles were cut down to lay the tracks, and the president went ahead with the plan before conducting feasibility studies.

Now, government figures revealed that only 1,200 people are using the trains each day, a remarkably low number compared to the 22,000 to 37,000 people expected. Cancun, Merida, Palenque and Campeche, four of the most popular stations, are already in service, and some routes, such as the one from Cancun to the Mayan temple complex in Palenque, only attract about 100 travelers per day in each direction.

The Tren Maya was designed to connect the main attractions and tourist areas of the Yucatan Peninsula, one of the most popular regions for travelers. The entire route, when completed, will span 950 miles. It has been opening in phases since 2023, with two new routes opening in March.

The project was estimated at $8.5 billion in 2019, with expected benefits of $10.5 billion. With such a high cost and low popularity, the Tren Maya could eventually cost the government $30 billion in lost revenue if its popularity does not improve.

Another challenge to its popularity is the lack of connection to the destinations offered: the stations are too far from the actual destinations where it stops, making it inconvenient for daily commuters, who were expected to benefit from the routes by connecting more people with more employment opportunities.

While the construction project has certainly benefited local economies by bringing more jobs to the region, once construction ends, these benefits are expected to diminish as well, leaving residents wondering if the massive presidential project was worth the hefty price tag.