The 1500km line will run from Izamal via the Mayan ruins at Chichén Itza and Valladolid to Cancun, and then along the Caribbean coast through Playa del Carmen and Bacalar, before turning inland to Escárcega to connect with the existing line. There will also be a branch line to serve another Mayan archaeological site at Calakmul. Part of the route will use the disused 162km line between Merida and Valladolid.
The 17-station line will connect the five states of Campeche, Tabasco, Chiapas, Yucatan and Quintana Roo and was one of the core pledges of Amlo’s presidential election campaign.
The aim of the project is to entice tourists staying in coastal resorts such as Tulum and Playa del Carmen to visit the region’s interior.
Services will be operated at 30-minute intervals using a fleet of high-performance DMUs, each seating up to 200 passengers. The line will also be used by freight trains at night.
A feature article on Maya Train can be found in the December issue of IRJ (p28).
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