CGTN presents a 3-part series examining the costs and possible benefits of one of Latin America’s largest infrastructure projects– Mexico’s Maya Train. 

Mexico’s Maya Train project to create big economic boost

Construction continues on one of Latin America’s largest rail systems—called the Maya Train. The Mexican government is laying more than 1,500 kilometers of rails ​across 5 states of southeastern Mexico, including the culturally rich Yucatan peninsula— a region known worldwide for its beach resorts and Maya pyramids.

It’s a legacy infrastructure project for Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. He promises an economic boom for one of Mexico’s poorest regions – ​while critics call it a looming ecological nightmare that threatens the Maya people who still live there today.

The Environmental Impact of the Maya Train

Mexico’s Maya Train is under construction now, and slated for completion in December 2023… 1,500 kilometers ​of rail connecting a large array of beach resorts and towns with major archeological sites from the ancient world of the Maya civilization. But the project ​has brought controversy, especially with regard to its potential impact on the environment.

Mexico’s Maya Train will launch in December 2023

This week we’ve been taking a careful look at one of Latin America’s largest infrastructure projects. It’s called the Maya Train. Mexico’s government says it will connect famous Caribbean beach resorts to towns filled with ancient cultural heritage. CGTN’s Franc Contreras spoke with people along most of the proposed 1500-kilometer route of the Maya Train.