Mexico: Maya Train Project, Linking Archeological Sites to Beach Towns, Faces Another Legal Setback After Judge Ordered Suspension of Construction

Mexico's Maya train project has another legal challenge underway, with a Mexican judge ordering the suspension of construction work on a stretch that would connect archeological sites with Mexico's beach towns.

The Mexican judge ordered the suspension be extended until the project's environmental impact is determined, according to a BBC News report.

The recent order is considered a victory for a group of cave divers who fear that the works will threaten underground caverns.

The Maya train is seen as one of Mexico's most ambitious infrastructure projects. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador claimed that it will provide an "environmentally friendly" mode of transport for locals and tourists alike. Lopez Obrador also argued that it will boost development and employment in the underdeveloped region.

However, critics argue that megaproject has been rushed, and environmental concerns have been overridden.

Mexico's Maya Train Project

Aljazeera News reported that the project was announced in 2018 by Lopez Obrador, with the construction starting in 2020.

The railway is aimed to connect Caribbean beach resorts with Mayan archaeological ruins, with officials set to complete the project by the end of 2023.

The Maya train project is estimated to cost about $16 billion.

The railway project has divided communities across the region. Some are welcoming the economic development and connectivity it promises.

Meanwhile, some local Indigenous communities have challenged the project, saying that it could disrupt the migratory routes of endangered species such as jaguars, tapirs, and ocelots and possibly damage centuries-old Mayan archaeological sites.

The overseeing government agency for the project, the National Fund for the Promotion of Tourism, said that it expects to overcome the latest legal hurdle and that work should continue after an environmental impact statement is made.

The Environment Ministry is currently reviewing the environmental application for the project.

Maya Train Project Legal Battle

The Mexican judge said in his ruling that society is also interested in its development without affecting the environment and based on the regulations that are established in Mexican law, as reported by BNAmericas.

The order ratifies the temporary suspension ordered by the same judge in April. It can still be appealed to by the federal government.

Works on the southern part of the fifth section have remained halted since the order. The full section runs 121 kilometers from Cancun to Tulum, but only the southern stretch is affected by the order.

The federal judge also cited "imminent danger" of causing "irreversible damage" to ecosystems, according to one of the plaintiffs.

Non-government group Defending the Right to a Healthy Environment said in a statement that authorities had failed to carry out the needed environmental impact studies before starting the construction of the section.

The original plan for the disputed section was for an overpass over a highway. However, the route was modified early this year to go through the jungle at ground level.

Activists clamored that the train would adversely impact the area's wildlife, including its caves and water-filled sinkholes known as cenotes.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: 'Ecocidal': Mexico's 'Maya Train' divides communities - from FRANCE 24 English