In Mexico, flagship Mayan tourist train leaves trail of broken pledges
Mexico's Mayan Train project, a multi-billion-dollar rail line, has failed to deliver promised benefits to local communities, with poverty and lack of access to basic services persisting. Despite government claims, the project has struggled with low ticket sales and empty hotels.
Mexico's Mayan Train, a 1,500-km rail project, was inaugurated two years ago to bring development to the country's impoverished south. However, it is struggling, with ticket sales covering only a fraction of operating costs and hotels along the route sitting empty. Local communities near the line say they have seen little benefit, with poverty remaining entrenched and well-paying jobs hard to find. In the village of Vida y Esperanza, residents still lack access to grid electricity, despite the train's maintenance depot being located nearby. The project's failure to deliver on its promises has been attributed to various factors, including red tape and lack of formal land titles. Official data shows that the share of homes with electricity in the state of Quintana Roo actually fell during the railway's construction.
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