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.