Locomotives for the Mayan Train's freight line have arrived in Puerto Morelos and are expected to begin operating in January 2027.Photo: Courtesy
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First 12 Locomotives Arrive for Mayan Train Cargo Line

ByYucatán Magazine

The first 12 locomotives for the Tren Maya’s freight line have arrived in Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, marking a milestone for the cargo project expected to begin operating in January 2027.

President Claudia Sheinbaum made the announcement during a visit to the rail site, just before departing for New York to attend Sunday’s World Cup final. She said the locomotives are already being put to work, hauling construction materials for the rest of the freight system.

“We have great news: the first 12 locomotives for the Tren Maya cargo line have arrived, and the project has made major progress,” Sheinbaum said in a video posted to her social media accounts. “In fact, these locomotives are already transporting some of the materials needed to build the Tren Maya cargo line.”

The freight line runs alongside the passenger Tren Maya, which has carried more than 2.3 million riders since opening in December 2023. Once complete, the cargo network will link to the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec at Palenque via the so-called Línea FA, connecting the ports of Coatzacoalcos and Palenque, along with a spur from Poxilá to Progreso. Officials project the freight system could move up to 4 million metric tons (about 4.4 million U.S. tons) of cargo annually by 2030.

Sheinbaum held a private meeting beforehand with governors from the five states the train crosses: Mara Lezama of Quintana Roo, Layda Sansores of Campeche, Joaquín Díaz Mena of Yucatán, Javier May of Tabasco and Eduardo Ramírez of Chiapas. Also on hand were Defense Secretary Ricardo Trevilla Trejo and Andrés Lajous Loaeza, head of Mexico’s rail transport regulatory agency.

The president said freight operations are expected to launch in January, shortly after the current fiscal year turns over. “These are the five states the passenger Tren Maya passes through, and very soon, in January, the cargo train will be inaugurated,” she said.

The freight expansion has been years in the making. Crews cleared 47 hectares (116 acres) of forest in Yucatán last year to build a major depot for the line, a move that drew criticism from environmental groups even as regulators attached conditions meant to limit ecological damage. The cargo network is designed to shift some freight traffic off highways and onto rail, cutting transportation costs for businesses moving goods across the Yucatán Peninsula.

El Pueblo Mérida

For residents near Mérida and Progreso, the freight line has been a recurring source of questions about construction timelines and rail crossings.

Government officials have not detailed exactly how many additional locomotives are expected before the freight line’s full launch, or which routes will see cargo service first. Those details, along with specific investment figures for the freight project, have not yet been made public.

Fast Facts:

  • Location: Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo
  • Announcement date: Saturday, July 18, 2026
  • Locomotives delivered: 12
  • Expected freight launch: January 2027
  • Projected annual freight capacity by 2030: 4 million metric tons (4.4 million U.S. tons)
  • States along the route: Quintana Roo, Campeche, Yucatán, Tabasco and Chiapas
  • Freight line connects to: the Interoceanic Corridor at Palenque and the port of Progreso

With reporting from El Heraldo de México

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