Mayan Train Could Be Key to the Transport of Goods
The recent project announced by Claudia Sheinbaum’s government, which seeks to make the Mayan Train also serve for freight transport, is viewed with optimism by experts in the railway sector.
According to the general director of the Mexican Railway Association (AMF), Iker de Luisa Plazas, this proposal could be very feasible and useful to resume railway logistics in the southeast of the country, similar to what happened years ago with the Chiapas-Mayab train.
A return to the roots of rail transport
De Luisa Plazas recalled that, a few years ago, the Chiapas-Mayab train transported goods efficiently and profitably.
For more than a decade, this train connected the south and southeast of the country, mainly transporting products such as beer, steel and cement.
The goods were moved to the Mérida terminal, while the equipment returned empty to the north.
Although this system managed around 2 million tons, its infrastructure was destroyed by a hurricane, which stopped its operation.
The AMF director pointed out that investments in natural gas and industrial parks are now being observed in the Yucatan Peninsula, which could generate a significant load to be transported by the Mayan Train.
This new load could improve the efficiency of the railway system, allowing the return of full trains to the north.
Claudia Sheinbaum Announces Expansion of the Mayan Train
Mayan Train Could Be Key to the Transport of Goods
Challenges and opportunities
Despite the advantages that the Maya Train offers as a means of transporting cargo, there are also challenges.
On the section from Palenque to Mérida, for example, containers could be transported on two levels, but on the route to Cancún, only one level would be allowed due to the electrification of the train and the wiring that limits the available space.
During the 28th Annual Congress of Shipping Agents, organized by the Mexican Association of Shipping Agents (Amanac), De Luisa Plazas also commented on the problems that trains face due to blockades, which in some cases generate million-dollar losses.
In places like Acultzingo, Puebla, these blockades have affected the transport of goods from the port of Veracruz to Mexico City, accumulating significant losses for certain industrial sectors.
Future prospects of the Mayan Train
Despite the challenges, the vision of the Maya Train transporting goods represents a key opportunity to boost the economy of southeastern Mexico.
The impetus of Claudia Sheinbaum’s government will be key to the materialization of this project.
With the support of investments in infrastructure and the development of industrial parks along the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, the Maya Train could become a logistics system of great importance for the country, generating new nodes of economic development in the region.
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