In case you haven’t heard, this year, Mexico is set to launch its largest infrastructure project in decades.
From December 1, the country will open a new scenic train route that will make exploring its most beautiful peninsula a lot easier.
The Maya Train, as it has been called, will stop at numerous tourist hotspots around Yucatán, hugged by both the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, where the likes of Cancun, Tulum, and Playa Del Carmen and some of the most beautiful beaches in the country are located.
Now according to officials overseeing the project, not only will it boost connectivity, the train will be one of the safest transportation modes in the world. Here’s why:
Strict Surveillance Expected For The Train
The Maya Train has been involved in ongoing controversy since it was first announced in 2020. From the get-go, both industry leaders and environmental groups had their reservations concerning the construction of the railway.
While one group was worried the tracks would be laid too close to coastal strips, blocking the access resorts currently enjoy to the Caribbean Sea, the other was quick to denounce the project as an environmental threat.
Running for a whopping 948 miles on a loop around the whole of the Yucatán Peninsula, with an elongated tail reaching an additional two Mexican states, the Maya Train is an ambitious endeavor that required legal battles and concessions on all parties involved.
It is finally expected to set out on its inaugural journey, however, and the concerns seem to have been unfounded.
Not only is the train bringing communities closer as a reliable transportation mode, in a peninsula where buses and private transfers had long been the only available means of commuting – to the dismay of tourists who are often subject to scamming – it is expected to be one of the world’s safest tourist trains.
The Maya Train Will Be Patrolled By Law Enforcers
As reported by local authorities, tourists can expect a high level of surveillance and even patrolling across all states where the Maya Trail will call, not only in the touristy Quintana Roo but also the other states concerned, Chiapas, Campeche, Tabasco, and Yucatán.
The Mexican Caribbean is bracing for a surge in tourism this winter, with both the launch of the train, the opening of more luxury hotels, and the start of operations at the hotly-anticipated Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport in Tulum.
Local authorities have never shied away from their duty of protecting Yucatán residents and visitors, having recently deployed more police to beach areas in Cancun and increasing spot checks coming in and out of resort zones.
With something as big as the Maya Train, it will be no different.
As reported in the local media, the train will have control and security systems with the ‘highest level of signaling and communication’.
Officers will be posted to some of the key stations, probably in extremely busy transit zones or tourist destinations, to ensure travelers board their trains safely and petty criminals do not harass them or jump over the turnstiles.
Additionally, the tracks will be surveilled by both land and air, with drones following the course of the train, ensuring it runs smoothly and identifying any potential threats, not to mention stricter ticket control on board the train itself and random daytime patrols.
Authorities have confirmed police will also be present in strategic facilities, such as airports and terminals, and in archaeological zones served by the train, and other points of interest, including the ruins of Tulum and Chichén Itzá.
This is the first time we’ve heard of a scenic train being as heavily patrolled and with a security package as robust as this, and we’re inclined to agree it can already be considered one of the safest in the world ahead of the inaugural journey.
Easier To Travel Around The Mexican Caribbean
Once it’s operational, the Maya Train will make it easier for travelers to explore the wider Yucatán Peninsula and reach off-path destinations like Felipe Carrillo Puerto, best known for its preserved Mayan heritage, and Izamal, the Instagrammable ‘Yellow City’.
The inaugural journey from Cancun takes place on December 1, coinciding with the official start of the season, and third-class tickets will start at only 80 Mexican pesos for short routes.
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