Could This Be A New Dawn for the Tren Maya?

 

From the very beginning, the Mayan Train was ambitious. Perhaps too ambitious, in fact. The $30 billion rail project—more than three times over budget—has faced a long list of fair criticisms: environmental damage, potential structural risks, cost overruns, and allegations of corruption. But without discounting these many problems, the Tren Maya is at last starting to show signs of life.

Passenger numbers have increased dramatically in 2025. Between January and June, the train carried 600,839 passengers, a 169% increase compared to the same period in 2024, when only 22,000 passengers were recorded. In the first half of the year, ridership grew 19% on average each month, and daily passenger demand rose 74%.

The Cancún–Palenque route, which once drew only about 100 passengers per day, is now seeing much better numbers—especially during holidays and long weekends. Officials report that most passengers are residents of the Yucatán peninsula and domestic tourists, not international visitors. Some passengers ride for one or two stations; others travel a dozen. But the key change is that the trains are now more regularly reaching capacity.

The Growth Explained

First, the system is now fully operational. All 34 stations across five states—Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo—are open for service, covering more than 1,500 kilometers of track.

Second, pricing has become more competitive. Since March 2025, the train has used a dynamic pricing system that adjusts ticket costs based on demand and how early a passenger books. A 10 percent discount is also offered for round-trip tickets physically purchased at the stations.

Third, the train now reaches places that were once inaccessible or required long, uncomfortable road trips. Beyond the main tourist corridor between Mérida and Cancún, the Tren Maya connects small communities to the regional transportation network. For the passengers who live in these areas, that is a win.

For international tourists, the most popular routes include the Cancún-Mérida and Cancún-Playa del Carmen sections, which operate at relatively high demand. For those seeking deeper archaeological adventure, the Cancun-Palenque route has become one of the most popular journeys.

Real Challenges Remain

Despite this ridership growth, the Tren Maya continues to hemorrhage money. In 2025, the train reported operating losses of more than 3.6 billion pesos, or about 9.9 million pesos per day. Its revenues from ticket sales and services totaled 541.8 million pesos, while operating expenses reached 4.8 billion pesos. The government covers the shortfall with taxpayer subsidies, which accounted for 90 percent of the rail operator’s income in 2025. Additionally, the state-run Grupo Mundo Maya hotels posted losses of more than 2.5 billion pesos due to low occupancy.

Then there are small annoyances, like having to hide your food when boarding, as officially, no outside food is onboard. This is particularly annoying as the cafeteria is usually very poorly stocked.

The train’s debt to suppliers and employees grew from 620 million pesos in January 2025 to 2.47 billion pesos by September 2025, nearly a fourfold increase.

What does this mean for the future? By late 2026, the government plans to launch freight service on the Tren Maya, which could help offset passenger losses. Officials project carrying 4 million passengers and 4.7 million tons of cargo annually by 2030.

For now, the train remains a work in progress. It is fun to ride and genuinely useful for getting to places once hard to reach. On a busy holiday weekend, the crowd at the station looks like a real transit hub—not a failed infrastructure project. The Tren Maya is not yet profitable, and it may never be. But for the first time, it is carrying passengers, not just a promise.