The first section of the train was launched on Friday, December 15th, going from the southern state of Campeche, through Yucatan state, to the tourist hotspot of Cancun in Quintana Roo.
Passenger Silvia Martinez said, “I feel very thrilled because the train has taken off despite being part of projects that many didn’t expect President Lopez Obrador would accomplish.”
The government says it expects another section from Palenque to Cancun to be inaugurated by the end of December, and the remaining routes to be up and running in February. But sources have cast doubt on the timeline and told Reuters the project was far from complete.
Spanning five Mexican states across the Yucatan Peninsula, the 965-mile (1,554 km) project aims to link a series of beach destinations with ruin sites dating to the Maya civilization’s classical peak. Originally projected at $7.5 billion, the Tren Maya will cost more than $28 billion, government officials have said. Tickets will range from 1,166 to 1,862 pesos (about $67 to $108).
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