Reuters Report Highlights Maya Train’s Unmet Promises in Calakmul

Xpujil, Campeche — A Reuters investigation, also picked up by DW Español, has cast new scrutiny on Mexico’s Maya Train megaproject, revealing that it has failed to meet expectations for regional development and tourism in the country’s southeast.

In Xpujil, a town in the municipality of Calakmul, residents say they still lack regular access to water despite promises tied to the railway project, including the Adolfo López Mateos–Xpujil aqueduct. Families must travel weekly to other communities to collect water.

The report notes that the train’s revenue covers less than 13% of its operating costs. Six hotels built along the route recorded average monthly occupancy rates between 5% and 24%, and observed trains carried fewer than 40 passengers despite a capacity of 230 seats. The initial annual target of 3 million passengers has been reduced to 1.2 million, while the project’s cost has ballooned from $7 billion to over $25 billion.

Communities near the railway line report limited benefits in basic services and employment, contrasting sharply with the original goals of spurring regional development in Mexico’s southeast.