In March 2020, the Regional Indigenous and Popular Council of Xpujil obtained a court order to stop construction, but development continued. The United Nations High Commissioner for Mexico said the government’s consultation process with Indigenous communities being displaced by the railway’s construction “has not complied with all international standards on human rights.” At least 25 legal complaints have been filed by local residents living along the train’s route in an effort to halt or hinder the project, according to the Guardian. The National Fund for Tourism Development (FONATUR) has identified over 3,000 homes in the train’s “right of way” that are at risk of relocation, local outlets report, with some families alleging they were forcibly evicted from their homes. While the train is meant to help stimulate economic growth in the rural areas along its route, critics worry the railway will only bring benefits to tourists-not Mexico’s Indigenous communities after whom the train is named. The construction also poses a threat to fragile underground cave systems and local water quality, as Time Magazine has reported. After promising not to fell a single tree, Obrador’s government later said 3.4 million trees had been cut down to clear the path for the railway, with environmentalists contending that the actual number is closer to 9 million.

But Tren Maya's challenges began well before that.īoth local residents and international organizations have raised concerns about Tren Maya’s environmental impact. Tren Maya's opening day was not without difficulty: service was delayed by five hours due to configuration issues, AP reports. The Tren Maya Instagram account is also sharing which trips are available, and when. Tickets are being released on this website and at the Teya Mérida train station in Mérida on a daily basis tourist class tickets from Cancún to Merida currently cost about $68.

Once the rail service is fully operational, there will be a train scheduled every two hours. Passengers can currently book three different service options: The Xiinbal (meaning ‘walking’ in Mayan) trains operate standard short-distance services, the Janal (‘eating’) trains offer local cuisine in their dining cars on medium and long-distance routes, and the P’atal (‘staying’) trains offer long-distance sleeper services.

Casa maya cancun website