Maya Train Fail: Financial Woes Surface after 5 Months

The Maya Train, a significant transportation project in Mexico, is facing financial difficulties after just five months in operation. A transparency report reveals that the train's operating expenses amounted to 1.47 billion pesos, while ticket sales only generated 84 million 997 thousand pesos. This revenue accounts for a mere 6% of the total expenditure.

Between December 15, 2023, and May 15, the Maya Train transported 165,972 passengers. This equates to an average of 33,194 passengers per month, or approximately 1,000 passengers per day. The National Defense Secretariat (Sedena), which oversees the train's administration, reported in February that the train had transported 64,370 passengers over 70 days, averaging 919 passengers daily.

Despite these financial challenges, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador recently proposed extending the Maya Train to Guatemala and Belize. This proposal came less than four months before the end of his term. The President described this as an "extraordinary project" aimed at facilitating travel between Guatemala and southeastern Mexico. The extension would connect the region of Flores in Guatemala with Campeche in Mexico, linking two stunning, classic Maya cities – Tikal in Guatemala and Calakmul in Mexico.