MAYAN Train director general, Mr Óscar David Lozano Águila, has announced that the first section of the new line construction project in Mexico will open on December 15.
Tracklaying is now complete on Section 2 running for 234km from Escárcega to Calkiní in the state of Campeche. Work on the five viaducts on the 18.76km new alignment avoiding the centre of the city of Campeche has also been finished.
Work is over 80% complete on the five new stations on Section 2, located at Carillo Puerto-Champotón, Edzná, San Francisco Campeche to serve the city of Campeche, Tenabo and Hecelchakán. Fit-out work including the installation of lifts and escalators is due to be completed shortly.
The rolling stock maintenance facility at Hampolol is 64% complete, while the infrastructure maintenance base at Edzná will be ready for the start of operations next month.
A freight yard is under construction at Pomuch, which is expected to handle a wide variety of traffic including fuel, steel, cement, grain, perishable goods and new road vehicles.
Construction of Section 2 has generated over 27,000 jobs to the benefit of the region’s population of 535,000 inhabitants. According to the director general of civil works contractor Grupo Carso, Mr Antonio Gómez García, over 5900 workers are currently deployed to complete Section 2, together with 978 construction machines.
Alstom is supplying 42 X’trapolis trains comprising 219 cars for the Mayan Train project, while Spanish national operator Renfe has been responsible for training 50 drivers and 30 operations control staff.
Training under a six-month programme designed for the project by Renfe began in January, combining two months of classroom instruction in Mexico City with practical training in Spain.
The first cohort of drivers completed their training in July, and at the end of August the second cohort arrived in Spain to undertake a week of training in Madrid before moving to Renfe’s training centre in Málaga.
A further month of classroom training in Málaga is followed by three months of practical driving experience, first on simulators and then on Civia commuter EMUs around the Málaga area as well as high-speed trains operating to Madrid, Granada and Córdoba.
The final phase of driver training will take place in Mexico in order to familiarise drivers with the new Alstom trains, Mayan Train infrastructure and operating regulations.
Having completed their training in Mexico City on August 28, all 30 Mayan Train operating personnel travelled to Spain earlier this month to complete the programme by the end of November.
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