Construction on a key remaining stretch of the Maya Train was halted after a federal appeals courtroom granted a “definitive suspension” till the designated authorities verify that the venture complies with environmental rules.
The civil group Sélvame del Tren (Save me from the practice) was the plaintiff within the case, which resulted within the courtroom ordering the federal government to take motion to protect the surroundings and perform inspections, verifications and conservation measures within the pure areas that the unfinished stretch of Section 5 crosses.
The ruling orders the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) to supervise and assure adherence to the courtroom’s orders.
Section 5 of the 1,554-kilometer passenger rail line runs south from Cancún and is being prolonged from Playa del Carmen to Tulum, two of Mexico’s hottest vacationer locations.
This 65-kilometer section of the Maya Train has been a spotlight of environmentalists’ objections since building started, because it concerned drilling by underground rock formations and piercing a good portion of the area’s delicate cave system with metal and concrete piles.
Activists who’ve denounced the venture since its conception known as Section 5 probably the most damaging to biodiversity, citing the lack of roughly 3.6 million timber. In 2024, they revealed that greater than 120 caves — a vital a part of the Maya Jungle’s aquifer system — had been broken.
Last month, Sélvame del Tren published a video demonstrating that metal piles had corroded and the ensuing structural harm allowed tons of concrete to leak into the caves.
The courtroom’s ruling isn’t a whole shock. Last yr, the Environment Ministry (Semarnat) admitted that building of the practice had certainly precipitated environmental harm, citing Section 5 specifically. Semarnat confirmed that no less than eight caverns and cenotes have been considerably compromised to accommodate the practice.
In a press release, Sélvame del Tren stated the choice represents a step towards “the protection of our natural resources and guarantees that verification, inspection, conservation and safeguarding work will be carried out in response to the corresponding public complaints.”
Meanwhile, freight monitor building continues
On Thursday, army engineer Ricardo Vallejo Suárez supplied an replace on the progress of the Maya Train freight service venture, which might start operations later this yr.
Speaking at President Claudia Sheinbaum’s morning press briefing, Vallejo stated the 4 multimodal cargo terminals are about 25% accomplished.
The works embrace the development of greater than 950 kilometers of latest monitor to create a cargo circuit that can run by the Yucatán Peninsula.
This contains 101 kilometers of yard tracks within the freight complexes, plus 70 kilometers of latest monitor to attach the town of Mérida with Progreso and the brand new industrial hall from Poxilá to Mérida.
Additionally, a 7-kilometer trunk line will join the Cancún passenger terminal with the brand new multimodal freight terminal.
Vallejo additionally stated the commissioning of the double monitor in Sections 4 and 5 that run by Quintana Roo has been formally granted.
With stories from Wired and El Economista
