MEXICO CITY — Work to supply electric power to the Mérida-Cancún stretch of Mexico’s Maya Train will begin this month at an estimated cost of $73.7 million. Mexico’s Environment Ministry said the electrification project would require the construction of three substations from which all the electricity necessary to feed the line will be supplied. The substations are being developed in coordination with state-owned power utility CFE. The utility will conduct environmental studies and build the high-voltage electrical infrastructure necessary for the correct operation of the railroad.
The Tren Maya (Maya Train) is a 948-mile railroad now under construction that will traverse the Yucatan Peninsula. Construction work began in June 2020. The railroad will encircle the peninsula via two routes. The project aims to connect tourist destinations in the Yucatán, including historic Mayan sites. The railroad will also accommodate local passenger traffic and freight shipments in addition to tourist trains. The first phase of the project is anticipated to open in the late 2020s.
In mid-2020 the Ministry announced that 434 miles of the route would be electrified, including sections from Mérida to Cancún, and Cancún to Chetumal, though the agencies have yet to detail the electrification costs or timeline for the Cancún-Chetumal section.
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