Maya Train sees passenger drop after holidays

Chetumal, Quintana Roo – Following the conclusion of the December holiday period, which saw the highest movement of travelers at the Maya Train station in Chetumal, officials have reported a decrease in the number of users so far in 2026. They attribute this decline to the post-holiday financial strain, known as the “January slump,” which leaves many people with limited resources.

However, the station manager in the state capital, Ángel Rendón Carmona, announced that in an effort to increase ticket sales, they will launch promotions. The strategy aims to improve passenger flow through these offers.

“The high season ends in December, and there was indeed high demand and an increase in passengers, but now in the low season, we also see a decline in travelers as in many places. But well, we hope that some promotion will be announced; there should be some promotion to increase passenger traffic. In 2025, we have records at the station that around 600 people moved daily in departures and arrivals, and the goal is to maintain this number or at least have a close figure,” said Rendón Carmona.

He indicated that once the promotions to be managed are approved, they will be announced in a timely manner, though he did not rule out that they could be similar to those applied last year, such as discounts and buy-one-get-one-free ticket purchases. These would contribute to the economy of those who continue to choose the Maya Train to reach their destination quickly, comfortably, and safely.

He highlighted that the Chetumal-Bacalar and Chetumal-Cancún routes remain the most in demand, while the Chetumal-Palenque segment, although reporting lower numbers, has had a good response during the months considered within the high season, which commonly occurs during holiday periods.

“Definitely, the route with the most demand is to Cancún; it is the segment that sells the most tickets and has the most passengers. The same goes for Bacalar and Palenque, where, although it is low now, during the high season there is quite a lot of demand,” he added.

He noted that the challenge for this year is to continue consolidating the Maya Train as a key means of transportation for tourist mobility and especially for Chetumal, where more and more people are opting to travel aboard the train. This has helped maintain constant operation and even consider expanding the schedules of the routes.