Government Acquires Massive Land for Maya Train Project

For the first time under Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration, land has been expropriated for the construction of sections 1, 3, and 4 of the Maya Train. The decree, published on Tuesday in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF), states that the 376,180 square meter area will be used for public utility purposes. In total, 86 private properties are affected, located in various municipalities across the states of Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, and Yucatán.

The decree specifies that the National Fund for Tourism Development (Fonatur) and the Ministry of Agrarian, Territorial, and Urban Development (Sedatu) are to coordinate the compensation process. Legally, compensation must be paid to those who can prove ownership of the expropriated properties.

The Maya Train, described by the government as “the most significant infrastructure, socioeconomic development, and tourism project of the current term”, will span 1,525 kilometers. It will traverse the states of Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, and Quintana Roo, interconnecting the main cities and tourist sites of the Yucatan Peninsula.