Mayan Train: Mexico's $30bn tourism revolution project stirs economic hope and environmental fear

Known in Spanish as Tren Maya, this train ranks amongst the largest infrastructure projects currently in progress in the Americas. Its track will extend close to 932 miles, encircling the Yucatan Peninsula.

Security for the train's operation is expected to be enforced by approximately 2800 National Guard officials. Equipped with drones, cameras, and five helicopters, they will ensure the train's safe operation, as reported by the "El Universal" newspaper, crediting these details to the Tren Maya's general director, Oscar David Lozano Aguila.

The train will connect popular tourist beaches of the Riviera Maya and Cancun International Airport to the impoverished regions in the southeastern part of the country, including the states of Chiapas, Tabasco, and Campeche. In simple terms, it will traverse the Yucatan jungle, bringing tourists to the economically-challenged southern states.

Despite the opposing views, work on the "Mayan Train" has made significant progress. On December 15th, the first section linking Cancun and Campeche was launched in a grand ceremony. During the event, the president postulated that the "Mayan Train is the most important public work project in the world".

According to Lopez Obrador, there is no equivalent to the Tren Maya project worldwide. He regards it as a testament to the prowess of Mexican civilian and military engineering. The president also stressed that the project did not involve private or foreign capital - it is owned by a public company, accountable to the people.

While proponents anticipate economic growth from the influx of tourists, adversaries fear the environmental consequences and dub the project as a "pharaonic monument" desired by the president.

Initially, the government estimated the line's cost to be within 120-150 billion pesos (7-8.7 billion dollars). However, the cost has now surged to a staggering 500 billion pesos (28.5 billion dollars), which critics view as an exorbitant expenditure.

Jesus Carrillo, from the independent advisory committee IMCO, argued that no study could justify such a large expense and that the country has other pressing needs. Fulfilling these necessities, however, would not attract much press coverage. Carrillo suggested that the choice to prioritize the train was motivated by a desire to leave a lasting legacy.

Nature preservation organizations have voiced their opposition to the railway line construction, denouncing the project for the expected felling of at least 3 million trees. Concerns have also been raised about potential pollution of underground water in thousands of regional sinkholes, known as cenotes. Even though the construction was frequently halted due to ongoing environmental lawsuits, the government deemed the project a matter of "public interest and national security," and work resumed.

As reported by the BBC, Tren Maya, for the president, forms part of a broader plan to restore Mexico's once-splendid railways. The president also asserts that the investment will stimulate development in the country's most neglected areas.

The World Tourism Organization projects that this route's establishment will triple the influx of tourists to southeastern Mexico. The United Nations Human Settlements Programme estimates that by 2030, thanks to the "Mayan Train", almost a million new jobs will be created, and 1.1 million people will be lifted out of poverty.

- The director of the Tren Maya company told the BBC that the project's substantial investment would bring benefits to thousands, perhaps millions, of people. He added that the project could radically transform southeastern Mexico and generate thousands of jobs. The surge of visitors will also stimulate local businesses, he noted.

Lozano Aguila asserted that the project is not an extravagant construction nor a whim, but rather, a necessity responding to the demands of local communities.

Residents of the regions through which the line runs anticipate a boost to the local economy. In the town of Villa El Triunfo in the state of Tabasco, which has a population of about 6000 and will have its own train station on the route, there is no doubt that its construction will cause a significant transformation.

Locals are optimistic that tourists will stop at their town to visit the nearby Moral-Reforma archaeological park, which houses Mayan ruins. However, they admit that they currently lack the necessary infrastructure to accommodate these tourists.

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