Maya Train Strands Passengers Again in Chetumal

CHETUMAL — The Maya Train, the flagship infrastructure project of Mexico's Fourth Transformation in the country's southeast, has once again made headlines for the wrong reasons. A "technical failure" forced the suspension of operations on the Chetumal-Cancún route on Monday.

The scheduled 9:50 a.m. departure to Cancún was suspended due to operational failures, leaving dozens of passengers stranded. Among the affected travelers, who provided accounts of the incident, were individuals who missed flights and others who were left without a means to return to their homes.

The operating company, far from offering support, declined to cover costs for meals or lodging, generating indignation among users who had trusted a service that purports to be a symbol of modernity.

The failure occurs just as the proposed 2026 Federal Expenditure Budget allocates 30 billion pesos for the train's operation and the implementation of its cargo service modality. Although this amount is 33 percent lower than the nearly 40 billion pesos allocated in 2025, the contrast between the enormous investment and the constant technical setbacks is becoming increasingly difficult to justify.

The official discourse speaks of a train that will boost the regional economy, but the daily experience of passengers reflects a very different story, rooted in delays, uncertainty, and a lack of protection.

The credibility of the Maya Train is further damaged by its history of accidents. Since March 2024, at least four derailments have been recorded in Yucatán, all occurring at stations such as Tixkokob and Izamal. While none resulted in injuries, the material damages, improvised bus transfers for passengers, and partial user compensation demonstrate that the project lacks solid safety standards. What was meant to be a reliable, world-class transport system now faces criticism for operating on the edge of improvisation.

Perhaps most concerning is the absence of institutional accountability. Each incident has been reduced by the official narrative to simple "mechanical details," with no assumption of deeper consequences. Passengers are not offered immediate solutions nor real safety guarantees; instead, errors are normalized while multi-billion-peso budgets are announced. The lack of empathy for those affected is perhaps the largest crack in the promise of a train that was supposed to signify progress and trust.

The project also carries heavy environmental and social criticisms. Specialists insist that the reindustrialization promoted by the "Plan México" cannot be justified at the cost of sacrificing the biodiversity and ecological balance of the southeast.