Mexico's Maya Train: More than 60 workplace deaths, route changes and corruption allegations

"A mistake in the automated track switches. An anomaly that should not have happened in the design of the railway system. This is how Oscar David Lozano, Director General of Mexico's Maya Train, explained the track incident during the morning press conference, which caused a minor derailment of two train cars at the Izamal station in Yucatan on Tuesday afternoon."

"The incident has once again put the spotlight on the Maya Train. It has raised concerns that former president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's (20182024) flagship megaproject may not have had enough time for proper operational testing. Experts also worry that the accelerated construction could be hiding structural problems. So far, the project has been linked to more than 60 workplace deaths, multiple route changes, and allegations of purchasing materials from corrupt networks."

"In December 2023, during the first of three inaugurations of the Maya Train, Lopez Obrador boasted of having built four of the seven sections in record time just three and a half years since construction began in June 2020. The project entails a network of more than 930 miles of track across the Yucatan Peninsula, starting in Palenque (Chiapas), and its budget, originally set at 150 billion pesos ($7.95 billion), ended up approaching 500 billion ($26.5 billion)."

"The government's rush to complete the Maya Train before Lopez Obrador left office was evident throughout the administration. Lopez Obrador visited one of the seven sections almost every two months, pressuring construction companies during each visit. In a consultancy carried out by PriceWaterhouseCoopers for the project in 2019, Mexico's main construction firms stated that they would need between 36 and 48 months to complete each section, but in the government bidding process, they were only given 28 months."

A mistake in an automated track switch produced a minor derailment of two cars at Izamal station in Yucatan. Oscar David Lozano described the anomaly as a design error that should not have occurred. The incident intensified concerns that accelerated construction and limited testing may have concealed structural problems. The project has been associated with over 60 workplace deaths, multiple route changes, and allegations of procurement from corrupt networks. Construction began in June 2020 and four of seven sections were completed within three and a half years. The network spans more than 930 miles, with costs rising from 150 billion to nearly 500 billion pesos.

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