THE president of Mexico, Mr Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has reaffirmed his government’s commitment to complete the 1550km Mayan Train project next year.

“We are making progress in building the Mayan Train, currently the largest railway project in the world,” López Obrador says. “We will finish the 1550km [project] in December 2023.”

The president was speaking during a visit to the state of Yucatán to inspect progress with construction of sections 2 and 3 of the Mayan Train project.

He was accompanied by dignitaries including the governor of Yucatán, Mr Mauricio Vila Dosal, defence secretary, Mr Luis Cresencio Sandoval González, and Maya Train honorary project supervisor, Mr Daniel Chávez Morán.

The Mayan Train project is expected to cut journey times and transport costs for both passengers and freight in the states of Tabasco, Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatán and Quintana Roo.

Serving a total of 16 stations, it will also provide a more environmentally sustainable way of accessing major archaeological sites in southeast Mexico.

It is estimated that 27 million tourists have visited Quintana Roo this year, with these stays concentrated in Cancún and other coastal resorts.

If only 10% of these visitors travelled inland on the Mayan Train to visit the archaeological sites of Chichén Itzá, Uxmal, Edzná, Calakmul and Palenque, the benefits for southeast Mexico would be substantial, according to López Obrador.

The Mexican government reports that the levelling, lining and tamping of new track continues on Section 1 of the Mayan Train from Palenque to Escárcega in Tabasco.

On Section 2 from Escárcega to Calkiní, the formation is under construction in Dzitbalché and Hecelchakán. Work to install conduits for fibre optic and electric cabling is progressing in Pomuch.

Section 3 from Calkiní to Izamal includes the new station at Teya-Mérida station in Yucatán, now under construction and forecast to be used by over 3000 passengers a day, including many tourists. The station will have four platforms and will be equipped with escalators and lifts.

Construction bases along Section 4 from Izamal to Cancún are continuing to receive tracklaying materials, with deliveries so far comprising 464,000m3 of ballast, 56,000 sleepers and 35,000 tonnes of rail. This represents 62% of the materials required for tracklaying on Section 4 where there will be 490km of double track.

Alstom is supplying 42 X’trapolis multiple-units for the Maya Train project. Construction of rolling stock maintenance and stabling facilities is now underway in Cancún, Mérida, Hampolol and Escárcega.

An in-depth report on the Mayan Train project appeared in the November 2020 edition of IRJ. Registered subscribers can read it here.

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