Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has ordered a technical review of the Maya Train’s Section 5 following allegations of structural sinking and environmental damage, adding to longstanding controversies surrounding the infrastructure project.
Photographs circulating on social media appear to show structural issues, including shoring on the piles supporting the railway, prompting Sheinbaum to call for an investigation to verify any harm to the environment. The section runs from Playa del Carmen to Tulum in Quintana Roo.
Since its inauguration over two years ago, Section 5 has faced criticism from environmental groups and local communities who accuse it of causing significant ecological harm. Activists claim the construction involved drilling into the region’s cave systems, known as cenotes, felling more than 10,000 trees, and contaminating water sources.
In February 2024, reports indicated that Section 5 failed to meet environmental mitigation plans and lacked necessary wildlife crossings, according to audits by the Internal Control Body of the National Fund for Tourism Development.
By April 2024, it was reported that the section had deforested over 6 million square meters of jungle, with ecologists noting the intrusion of more than 17,000 piles into the habitat.
In October 2025, Environment Secretary Alicia Bárcena acknowledged that eight caverns and cenotes were damaged during the train’s construction, though activists estimate the number at 120 affected caves.
The latest complaints in early April focus on alleged sinking in areas with karst soil, which naturally aids aquifer recharge. “These formations occur in the presence of soluble rocks, and solubility creates various underground geoforms,” explained geographer Yameli Aguilera Duarte regarding the terrain where the Maya Train passes.
The project, initiated under former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, reportedly loses 9.9 million pesos daily despite government subsidies.
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