MEXICO: President Claudia Sheinbaum has set out plans to extend Mexico’s 1 477 km Tren Maya network to Belize and Guatemala, adding approximately 300 km of new lines.
To be delivered in stages, the proposed expansion plans announced on January 29 follow discussions with President of Guatemala Bernardo Arévalo, and Belize’s Prime Minister John Briceño, who originally requested the extension.
The first phase would involve the construction of just over 7 km of tracks branching off the Tren Maya network west of Chetumal and crossing the Hondo River which borders Mexico and Belize.
The second phase would extend the railway through Belize, reaching Guatemala’s border east of Tikal, which is one of the region’s key tourist destinations.
The third phase would extend the network to Tikal and Flores in Guatemala.
Feasibility studies are yet to be carried out.
The line is expected to carry both passengers and freight. It is expected to attract tourists visiting Belize from the existing resort hotspot of Cancún, which is served by Tren Maya already.
There is also a significant movement of goods between the two countries as Mexico is a major exporter to Belize.
Freight enhancements to start this year
Now that Tren Maya passenger services are up and running, a number of freight enhancements are planned with a value of 49bn pesos.
Intermodal freight terminals are to be built at Poxilá, Progreso, Cancún, Chetumal, and Palenque. These will include reception tracks, warehouses, and customs facilities, with Cancún’s terminal alone costing 7·8bn pesos.
Marshalling yards and materials handling terminals are to be built in Valladolid, Pomuch, Xpujil, Escárcega, and Tulum to support the use of rail in regional logistics.
Construction is scheduled to start in April on the freight terminals in Cancún and Chetumal, overseen by Tren Maya project promoter Sedena, which is part of the Ministry of National Defence.
Cancún’s freight terminal will be built adjacent to the passenger station which serves the city’s airport. A fuel unloading spur for the airport is to be built and a high capacity pipeline built for kerosene transfer.
A 66·7 km branch is also to be built from Merida northwards to serve the port of Progreso. Another 7·5 km of tracks are to be built within the port.
Network growth and low ridership
The Mexican government inaugurated sections 6 and 7 of the Tren Maya network in December, covering the route from Tulum to Escárcega via Bacalar and Chetumal.
However, parts of the Tren Maya network are seeing lower-than-expected ridership, with the Chetumal – Escárcega section particularly affected. Here, only three services are running each week in each direction.
- A feature article about the Tren Maya project from the January 2025 issue of Railway Gazette International is available to subscribers.
