President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s government is building the revolutionary Mayan Train Railway – known as the Tren Maya –, which is set to open in December 2023. The line spans 1,554 kilometers and runs through five different Mexican states: Tabasco, Campeche, Quintana Roo, Chiapas, and Yucatán. The government says the railway will bring “modern connectivity to areas for generations deprived of significant economic benefits”. Nevertheless, scientists are concerned about the project’s environmental impacts.
Economic benefits
Fontaur, Mexico’s national trust for tourism promotion, says the railway offers significant economic benefits – it’s expected to generate 715,000 new jobs by 2030 and bring over one million people out of poverty. Numerous villages around the country also support the development. In Xkuncheil (a small town in Campeche), Luz Elba Damas Jimenez owns a small convenience store near the development. In addition to now having more customers, many of her neighbors also have jobs on the project. “The government is working on good things for the country…Sometimes there just isn’t work in these small towns, but now they have jobs,” she said. “The truth is that we have benefited.” “No government ever remembers the southeast. Everything goes to the north, and the southeast is forgotten,” Martha Rosa Rosado further adds. Rosado had to move home to make room for the line and was provided with compensation.
Construction costs for the project have now reached $20 billion. Responsible land clearing to eliminate trees, shrubs, and other vegetation with minimal impact on the environment should, of course, be a priority in any development project. Anyone looking for land clearing near me should opt for a reputable and experienced contractor to take care of the job.
Environmental concerns
Scientists are concerned about the railway’s environmental impact. The Tren Maya weaves its way over an intricate system of subterranean caves, which also house the world’s longest river – the site of amazing archeological discoveries like ancient human fossils and Maya artifacts. If constructed poorly, the railway risks breaking through the ground into the caves, while diesel may also contaminate subterranean rivers and pools – the prime source of freshwater on the peninsula. Nevertheless, the government’s own research calls the environmental impacts “insignificant” and “adequately mitigated”. A prevention program is in place to avoid risk of collapse.
This development is expected to be completed on September 24th 2023, with test rides also planned for that month. The line is expected to open to the public on December 1st.
