The Maya train project covering the northern Quintana Roo stretch will cost 92% higher than initially thought, according to Mexico's government document.

An environmental impact statement noted that the total cost of the Cancun-Tulum section of the 1,500-kilometer railroad was around $2.9 billion (59.6 billion Mexican pesos).

Mexico News Daily reported that it was originally estimated at around $1.5 billion (31 billion Mexican pesos).

The cost could change further as the federal government currently discussed the early termination of a contract granted for the construction of the Playa del Carmen-Tulum stretch of section 5, a local newspaper reported.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has vowed that the Maya train railroad will begin operations in 2023. However, two people working on the project noted that it would not be finished under the current federal government.

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Maya Train Project Setbacks

The path of the whole section 5 went along Federal Highway 307. However, it caused protests over the effects in the urban areas it crossed.

According to Reforma, it was then moved eight kilometers into the jungle, wherein 808 hectares of forestation will have to be demolished.

Finding a builder for the Cancun to Playa del Carmen route was canceled in March 2021, when Lopez Obrador ordered the assignment of the work to the Ministry of National Defense. 

However, the average bid from 10 consortiums was just around $641 million (13.09 billion Mexican pesos). The projected cost is 114% higher than average due to a route change and inflation.

Grupo Mexico and Acciona won the contract to build section 5. However, the construction of the 67.6-kilometer stretch is now expected to cost over $1.5 billion (31.5 billion Mexican pesos) due to the modification of the route.

Local media reported that the federal government is negotiating the early termination of the consortium's contract.

According to Reforma, more than 60 contracts have been awarded for the Mayan train project, which will link cities and towns in Campeche, Tabasco, Yucatan, Quintana Roo, and Chiapas. The value of these contracts is reportedly 31.6% higher than the initial estimate.

The Maya Train Project in Mexico

A civil engineer working on Section 4 of the railroad project and an archaeologist noted that they doubted they would be able to finish anything on time, Yucatan Magazine reported. 

The archaeologist said the Maya train project is full of "bureaucracy and nepotism," just like any government project in Mexico.

The expert added that it is also simply an impossible amount of work, with people leading the project "who have no idea what is really going on."

The expert involved in the Maya train project also cited that rail sitting on the outskirts of Maxcanu, saying that the person in charge of procuring the vehicles to transport them to worksites had no idea what he was doing.

He added that the person in charge then called a friend's fleet of trucks to move them. The expert noted that he voted for Lopez Obrador. However, the archaeologist said the president should have listened to consultants from the start and avoided "committing to overly ambitious projects."

The engineer of the Mayan train noted that they had been working extremely hard but remained behind schedule.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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