Now half of the route will be double track, It will also have two elevated sections and electric trains, all with public resources; the delivery date remains in December 2023: Jimenez Pons
To achieve greater reach and incorporate better technology, the National Fund for the Promotion of Tourism (Fonatur) made several modifications to the master plan of the Mayan Train, with which they hope to strengthen one of the emblematic works of the administration of Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
In an interview with MILENIO, Rogelio Jimenez Pons, general director of Fonatur, reported that at the beginning it had not been considered that the train was a double track; Nevertheless, now half of the total route has this scheme, and also almost 50 percent will be electric.
These changes increased the investment to be made, since its total cost will be higher in 33 percent, compared to the original budget, the manager pointed out, but he clarified that despite this there is space and scope for the entire work to be built one hundred percent with public resources.
The total cost “we estimate that it is approximately above the 200 one billion pesos ", but he said that "it is not that it is more expensive for minimal aspects, but because the project will have a better and greater scope ".
He reiterated that there is a public budget and that it is enough, because with the fight against corruption a lot of money has been released and the Mayan Train, being a priority project, it is given the necessary importance.
Jiménez Pons considered that the federal government's strategy against corruption has worked, that many resources have been obtained that have been used in other works that exist throughout the country. "Public resources are being released, there are more and more savings and the macroeconomic aspects of the country are doing well ", stated the general director of Fonatur. Reported that despite these changes, The delivery date and start-up of the Mayan Train is still December 2023, "We have to finish at any cost".
The Mayan Train has an extension of one thousand 500 kilometers and will connect the five southeastern states: Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo, that mainly have a tourist and agri-food vocation. Stoppage due to covid-19 The manager recalled that the pandemic stopped the construction of the project, like many other economic activities, what delayed the works, but they will seek to replenish that time this year. He clarified that although the one that is half electric will raise the investment at the beginning, in the long term there will be savings, since its maintenance is cheaper. According to the construction plans of Fonatur, in the sections Mérida-Cancún-Chetumal, represents 40 percent of the total railway project, a dual system will be used with hybrid trains (diesel-electric) and electrical.
Jiménez Pons added that other situations that generated the increase in the project are the changes in the roads, due to archaeological discoveries and other technical issues. For example, commented, in Campeche a whole new pre-Hispanic city was found, the size of the archaeological zone of Palenque, so it will no longer be possible to pass at ground level but will now have to build a viaduct (elevated train).
The section from Cancun to Tulum will be equally high, With almost 48 kilometres; "It's like the Mexico-Cuernavaca highway, but double floor ", clarified Jiménez Pons. There has been an increase in scope, It is not that it is more expensive because things are more expensive, It is normal, something that happens in projects of this size, detailed the official.
He pointed out that Fonatur builds four roads related to the railway project, but they are looking for a way that this does not affect the total cost. One objective of this infrastructure work is to reactivate the economy of the southeast of the country, well there 7.3 millions of people are in poverty.
Fountain: Millennium