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April 20, 2022

Andrew Campbell 

Cavers in Mexico joined forces with conservationists in March to take the Mayan Train case to court. A Yucatan judge has temporarily halted construction on the stretch between Playa del Carmen and Tulum, citing a lack of environmental permits. Construction was ordered to be halted until environmental impact studies could be completed, according to the judge. 

Concerns have been raised about the environmental impact of the Mayan Train, one of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador's most visible major infrastructure projects, since it began construction. A group of divers filed an injunction earlier in March, claiming that the project lacked environmental impact authorization.

"The Maya Train is on its way," Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador declared on April 19 morning, following media reports of a judicial suspension of Section 5 south. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador stated during the morning news conference that he has yet to receive any official notification of the temporary ban ordered by a Merida court on April 18.

The Mayan Train is a project that seeks to improve people's lives while also protecting the environment and promoting long-term development. One of the project's primary goals is to boost the economy of Mexico's southeast. It will travel approximately 1,500 kilometers through the states of Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo. The majority of the sections would use existing roads or highways, but others would necessitate tracing and building new places. The Mayan Train is expected to be finished in December 2023.