Maya Train Restaurant Service to Launch Aug. 23

Cancún, Quintana Roo — The Maya Train will launch its new restaurant service on Aug. 23, offering passengers a dining experience that pairs the region’s landscapes with its cuisine, officials announced.

Maya Train Director General Óscar David Lozano Águila presented the project to business leaders from the five states the train travels through.

“Aug. 23 brings a new way to experience the journey,” the company said in a statement. “Get ready to enjoy a one-of-a-kind experience in Mexico, where the scenery of the southeast meets its gastronomy, flavors, and onboard service.”

Chef David Cetina to lead Janal kitchen

The restaurant train, named Janal — the Maya word for “to eat” — will run between Mérida and Izamal. Chef David Cetina will prepare the menu, which the company describes as “a journey where tradition, culture, and haute cuisine meet.” Reservations are available through the official Maya Train website.

According to the company, Janal is not just a cutting-edge piece of rail engineering but “the most ambitious showcase of Mexican cuisine in the 21st century.” The service is designed to provide a superior comfort experience, allowing passengers to sample the culinary riches of the country’s southeast while traveling through the heart of the Maya world.

The menu includes regional staples such as brazo de reina, panuchos, chayitas, and the traditional papaya candy. Passengers will also be able to try “Cerveza Tren Maya,” an exclusive beer created to pair with the onboard offerings. The beer will eventually be available across all Maya Train service classes: Xiinbal (standard), Patal (long-distance), and Janal (restaurant).

“This is an invitation to help the world not only use the train to reach a destination, but to make the Maya Train itself the most important culinary destination in the Americas,” Lozano Águila said. “Welcome to this great alliance for the southeast. Thanks to you, the Maya Train will not only say ‘good trip,’ but also ‘bon appétit.'”

Some social media users responded by suggesting refreshments should not cost 70 pesos and that service should be warm and friendly.

Cancún-Playa del Carmen route returns

In a separate announcement, the company said the Playa del Carmen-Cancún route will resume on Saturday, Aug. 15, with new schedules adjusted to the workday in that tourist corridor. The route promises a comfortable, fast, and reliable connection between two of the region’s top destinations.

The new schedules are:

• Departing Cancún at 6:45 a.m., arriving in Playa del Carmen at 7:34 a.m.
• Departing Cancún at 10:30 a.m., arriving at 11:19 a.m.
• Departing Playa del Carmen at 7:47 a.m., arriving in Cancún at 8:40 a.m.
• Departing Playa del Carmen at noon, arriving at 12:53 p.m.

Authorities also said passengers can use three shuttle routes from the Cancún station to nearby destinations: to the Hotel Zone with stops at the Maya Museum, the San Miguelito archaeological site, and Plaza La Isla; to the Cancún airport; and to Plaza Las Américas on Tulum Avenue.

In Playa del Carmen, two shuttle routes will operate: from the station to Plaza Playacar via Plaza Quinta Alegría, the municipal palace downtown, and Capta; and from the station to the Mayan Hotel Zone.