Tren Maya tourist packages fail to attract many takers

Just days before the Easter holidays begin, the Tren Maya, or Maya Train, is registering an average of only two people per day taking advantage of tourist packages, the newspaper Reforma reports.

This low turnout comes despite significant promotion from the federal government for Tren Maya tourist packages paired with Mexicana de Aviación flights and accommodations at hotels operated by the Ministry of National Defense (Sedena).

According to recent reports, between December 2024 and March 2025, only two people per day on average purchased such packages.

Oscar Lozano Águila, director of the Maya Train operation, presented a report this week on the “Route of Wonders” package, which includes flights on Mexicana Airlines from Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) with accommodations in Mérida and Valladolid, plus visits to Chichén Itzá. Prices were not posted.

According to the report released at the National Palace, only 138 people purchased this package in the last two and a half months, averaging just 1.8 users per day. Through this package, 64 rooms were booked in official Tren Maya hotels, 552 Maya Train tickets were sold, and 276 tickets on Mexicana de Aviación were purchased.

Similar figures were recorded for the “Seas and Lagoons” package, which offers visits to Tulum, Bacalar, and Chetumal. This package was booked by 103 people between January 25 and March 25 of this year, representing an average of 1.7 travelers per day, 43 hotel rooms, 206 Maya Train tickets, and an equal number of Mexicana plane tickets.

These figures fall far short of expectations. The Andrés Manuel López Obrador administration projected 8,200 daily passengers. His successor, President Claudia Sheinbaum, reduced the goal to 3,287.

However, official figures from the new government show a daily average of just 2,222 passengers. In the 15 months since its inauguration, the Maya Train has transported approximately one million passengers—only 36% of AMLO’s original goal and 91% of the new government’s revised target.

A difficult beginning for Tren Maya

The Maya Train, or Tren Maya, represents one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in Mexico’s recent history. Conceived during former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s administration as a cornerstone of his regional development strategy, the railway was designed to connect major archaeological sites, beach destinations, and cities across five southeastern states: Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo.

Construction began in 2020 with an initial budget of approximately 120 billion pesos (roughly $6 billion USD), though final costs have significantly exceeded original estimates. The 1,525-kilometer railway circuit aims to revitalize tourism in the Yucatán Peninsula while providing improved transportation for locals in traditionally underserved regions.

The project has been controversial since its inception. Environmental organizations have expressed serious concerns about its impact on the region’s fragile ecosystem, particularly deforestation and potential damage to underground cave systems and cenotes that characterize the Yucatán Peninsula. Indigenous communities have also raised objections about inadequate consultation processes and the railway’s route through culturally significant areas.

Despite these concerns, AMLO’s administration pushed forward with construction, designating it a national security project in 2021 to expedite progress and bypass specific regulatory requirements. This classification allowed military involvement in construction and ongoing operations, with the armed forces managing several stations and associated hotels.

The train officially began partial operations in December 2023, though significant sections of the route were still under construction. The full circuit was gradually opened throughout 2024, with the government promoting it as a sustainable alternative for tourists to experience southeastern Mexico’s cultural and natural richness.

Critics have pointed to the current low ridership as evidence of planning deficiencies, including stations far from population centers, limited connectivity with other transportation options, and ticket prices that may be prohibitive for residents. Supporters argue that the project requires time to reach its potential and that associated development—including new urban centers and commercial zones around stations—will eventually generate significant economic benefits for the region.

As the Sheinbaum administration continues implementing the project it inherited, questions remain about the long-term economic viability of the Maya Train and whether it will ultimately fulfill its promised transformation of the Yucatán Peninsula’s tourism and transportation landscape.