Anticipation is growing on the Peninsula as the Dec. 15 Tren Maya start date approaches. That’s when it is scheduled to make its first long-haul voyage from Campeche to Cancún.
This first run, open only to select dignitaries and members of the media, will be followed the following day by the inaugural trip for paying passengers.
The tickets for the first several days of Tren Mayas Route 1 (Campeche-Cancun) sold out almost as soon as they became available at MX$1,318 / $US75 for tourist class and MX$2,091 / US$120 for first class.
The elevated ticket prices likely have to do with the fact that they are being sold by eticket.mx — an online platform similar to Ticketmaster, which builds in extra fees or upcharges.
And at least for the time being, it is not possible to buy tickets for just part of the trip. That means one cannot simply hop on the train in Mérida and get off in, say, Valladolid.
There has been no official work if and when price adjustments will occur, and when tickets will be available for purchase on the official Tren Maya website, which was the original plan.
It has also long been suggested that tickets would have different prices depending on whether passengers are residents of the Peninsula, Mexican citizens, or foreigners.
Earlier: New Tulum airport to connect directly to the Tren Maya
Also making its debut next week is Mérida’s Ie-Tram, an electric bus/tram hybrid running along dedicated lanes that will connect Mérida’s Parque La Plancha with the Tren Maya station in Teya.
Given the state of the Ie-Tram station at La Plancha, it is unlikely that all of its amenities will be complete when it begins operations.
Once complete, the Ie-Tram network will run in four directions within Mérida and connect the city with nearby communities, including Kanasín and Umán.
However, no firm date has been given for when the Ie-Tram will be completed, with northbound routes having not even begun construction.
