Tren Maya faces criticism over environmental damage and costs

The Tren Maya project in Mexico faces mounting criticism regarding its environmental, economic, and archaeological impacts. Reports indicate the project proceeded without comprehensive economic, environmental, or archaeological studies, leading to the destruction of approximately 20 million trees, damage to underground rivers and cenotes, and the loss of 502 archaeological sites.

Financially, the project's cost escalated from an original 140 billion pesos to 500 billion pesos. Passenger numbers have also fallen short of initial projections; between its inauguration in December 2023 and June 2026, the train transported 2.5 million passengers, with only 8.5% being foreign tourists.

In response to these issues, U.S. Democratic Congresswomen Karines Reyes and Emerita Torres conducted a tour of the region alongside environmental groups such as 'Selvame del Tren' and 'Cenotes Urbanos'. These organizations highlighted the damage to the jungle and subterranean ecosystems, calling for international attention and urging Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to personally inspect the affected areas to understand the scale of the environmental crisis.