Land Seized for Mexico’s Maya Train Project

The Ministry of Agrarian, Territorial and Urban Development (SEDATU) has declared 48,661.703 square meters of private property to be of public utility for the execution of complementary infrastructure for the Maya Train. The measure involves 14 properties located at strategic points in the southeast of the country.

The decision seeks to ensure the operational and functional continuity of one of the priority projects of the Government of Mexico, with a direct impact on regional connectivity and passenger and cargo logistics.

Sections and Municipalities Involved

The properties declared to be of public utility are distributed along key sections of the Maya Train in four southeastern states. In Section 1, the areas are located in the municipalities of Candelaria, in Campeche, and Tenosique, in Tabasco.

For Section 2, the impact extends to land in Champotón and in the municipality of Campeche, considered strategic for the continuity of the railway works.

Section 3, in the municipality of Umán, Yucatán, concentrates the largest area involved, as a single property exceeds 44,000 square meters, making it one of the most relevant points within the declaration.

Meanwhile, Sections 5 and 6 cover properties in Solidaridad, Puerto Morelos, Tulum, Felipe Carrillo Puerto and Othón P. Blanco, in Quintana Roo, areas linked to tourist and regional mobility hubs.

Legal Basis and Scope of the Project

The declaration, based on Article 27 of the Constitution and the Expropriation Law, establishes that the properties will be used for works necessary for the comprehensive operation of the railway system. It opens a legal period for property owners to submit statements to the authorities before the occupation is finalized through compensation in accordance with the law.

SEDATU argues that the Maya Train constitutes a transport, cargo and territorial articulation corridor, whose operation responds to the collective interest by improving mobility, facilitating access to services and strengthening the integration of the south-southeast with the rest of the country.

Under this logic, the technical reports concluded that the selected properties are suitable for the planned works, including network expansions, logistics infrastructure and strategic connections such as the link to Puerto Progreso.

The operation of the project remains under the State's control, through the majority state-owned company Tren Maya, SA de CV, which is part of the Ministry of National Defense.

Compensation and Continuity of Work

From an administrative point of view, the declaration grants 15 business days to interested parties to present what is convenient to their right before the Legal Affairs Unit of SEDATU.

The federal agency specified that the occupation of the properties will be carried out through compensation, according to the appraisals and agreements established with the owners. With this, the Mexican government seeks to avoid delays in the execution of the works and guarantee the completion of a railway network considered strategic for regional development, employment and connectivity in southeastern Mexico.