Riviera Maya, Q.R. — Óscar David Lozano Águila says the remaining Tren Maya routes are on schedule for a February inauguration. The General Director of Tren Maya Óscar David Lozano Águila, says sections 5 to 7 are still scheduled to be operational for the end of February.
“We are going to conclude in February 2024 these three sections that will allow us to see all the archaeological zones and all the tourist places that travelers will be able to discover through the Maya Train,” he reported.
The unfinished sections include 5 which covers 111 kilometers from the Cancun Airport to Tulum, section 6, which includes 256 kilometers from Tulum to the Chetumal Airport and section 7, which is 254 kilometers of track that runs from the Chetumal Airport to Escárcega, Campeche.
Those three lines cross 11 municipalities of Quintana Roo and Campeche, he said.
He explained that section 5 north, from Cancun to Playa del Carmen is 80 percent finished. Section 6 from Tulum to Chetumal is 74 percent complete and section 7, from Chetumal to Escárcega is 73 percent complete.
Regarding section 5 south, Playa del Carmen to Tulum, representatives of the companies ICA, Mota-Engil Latinoamérica and Azvindi Ferroviario only outlined the infrastructure, but did not provide construction statistics.
Infrastructure for that section includes elevated viaducts, the Playa del Carmen station and the 300-meter Jaguar Claw cable-stayed bridge.
Once finished, those three train routes will pass through 12 archaeological sites that include El Meco, Tulum, Cobá, Muyil, Xel-Há, Paamul II, Dzibanché-Kinichná, Chacchoben, Oxtankah, Ichkabal, Kohunlich and Calakmul.
Lozano Águila reported that during the first 18 days of Maya Train operation, 15,579 tickets were sold for 144 trips. Of the tickets sold, only 2,427 were purchased online. The balance of 13,152 were purchased at ticket offices installed in the 22 stations in operation where discounts can be applied.
The General Director also noted that of the over 15,500 Tren Maya passengers, only 401 have been foreign international tourists.
In the pre-opening stage, the Maya Train offers service with four convoys each with 221 passenger capacities. Departure times are 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. from Cancun Aeropuerto to Palenque and Palenque to Cancún Aeropuerto stations.
He reported that based on the tickets sales to date, the routes of greatest demand are San Francisco, Campeche to Cancun, San Francisco Campeche to Mérida-Teya, Mérida-Teya to Cancun, Cancun to Valladolid and Mérida-Teya to Valladolid.
