Following President Andrés Manuel López Obrador opening stage on Friday, Mexico’s Maya Train project, which connects tourist destinations and archaeological sites in five southern states, experienced a number of setbacks during its opening weekend.
The 473-kilometer route between Cancún Airport and Campeche, which takes about 5½ hours and has stops at 14 stations, is the first operational part of the 1,554-kilometer route inaugurated by President López Obrador.
The train must pause on a siding to allow the passage of another train, as the current route is only partially constructed and contains only one of the two planned tracks.
As a result, there will initially be only two trains per day.
The first trip from Cancun at 7 a.m. Saturday was delayed by 23 minutes.
Some carriers reported delays of up to five hours for the 11 a.m. train from Cancuncausing passengers to queue for a very long time before it arrived from Campeche.
Despite the rain and cold, hundreds of people arrived early for the historic event. Some slept on the concrete floor of the station as the minutes turned into hours. The station is reportedly 85% complete, but there are currently no bathrooms; instead there are two portable toilets.
Authorities apologized for the longer wait and explained that the trains were being “reconfigured.”
“It is important to clarify that this delay issue stems from a technical glitch at Alstom, the company that supplies us with the Maya train,” a spokesperson said. “We, the Tren Maya company, are not responsible for this malfunction. However, we apologize.”
Archaeologists, cave divers and environmentalists have all expressed their opposition to the Maya Train project. It travels through numerous ecologically sensitive areas of the jungle filled with caves and cenotes. This delicate ecosystem is home to some of North America’s oldest human remains.
According to Lopez Obrador, the second phase of the railway will open on December 30 and the remaining section will be completed by the end of February.. Unlike the other two-thirds, a railway line already existed on much of the route in the part of the line that was inaugurated on Friday.
The first batch of tickets went on sale on December 1, with prices ranging from 1,166 pesos (about $68) to 1,862 pesos (about $108). It takes about the same time and costs about $58 for a first class coach, although there are much cheaper options.
Foreign visitors pay a higher price for Mayan train tickets than locals. Mexican nationals receive discounted fares. However, for the first trip, only first and tourist class prices were provided.
