Despite the fact that the Maya Train has not yet become profitable, Andrés Martínez, director of the Quintana Roo Tourism Council (CPTQ), told REPORTUR.co that the Mérida-Cancún route is overbooked; similarly, the Cancún-Tulum route is one of the busiest, so he believes there is a lack of service and they are waiting for more train cars.
“The Maya Train makes a complete circuit through the entire south of the country: Chiapas, Palenque, Campeche, Yucatán, Tabasco, and Quintana Roo. In Quintana Roo, we have 12 stations from north to south; it’s practically a train that connects three international airports: Cancún Airport, Tulum Airport, and Chetumal Airport. There are routes, for example, Mérida, Yucatán to Cancún, which goes directly to the airport; that route is sometimes overbooked, very busy, and very busy,” Martínez told this newspaper.
He also mentioned that another very busy Maya Train route is from Cancún to Tulum. “The second busiest route of the Maya Train is from Cancún to Tulum, passing through Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, downtown Tulum, and Tulum Airport. This route is the most traveled; for me, from a very personal point of view, it’s a project that hasn’t yet reached its conclusion in terms of frequency. They’re receiving more cars; once we have those cars in operation, we’ll have many more frequent services to create a real sense of movement. Today I can tell you that it’s a very contemplative journey; it’s a very modern train.”
He also mentioned that the Maya Train stations are planned to be themed; “there’s the one in Tulum, which is a park, Jaguar Park. The idea is that each station will have a museum and other attractions. Once they’re finished, from point to point, the idea is that each station will offer something unique.” “Obviously, it’s a very extensive jungle, a very large territory,” Martínez explained to this newspaper.
He added that he prefers to travel on the Maya Train to get from his office in Cancún to Chetumal, the capital of Quintana Roo. “When I have to go to Chetumal, my options are plane, train, or car; by car it’s five and a half hours, by train it’s six hours, so I prefer to go by train rather than by car; “It’s more comfortable on the train,” he commented.
He also emphasized that the Maya Train is safe. “It’s very safe. It’s a train operated by the Mexican Army, with soldiers and National Guard troops everywhere, and there haven’t been any incidents,” he concluded.
Jesús Almaguer, former president of the Cancun, Puerto Morelos, and Isla Mujeres Hotel Association (AHCPMIM), believes attractive tourism products must be developed around the train. (Almaguer: Maya Train must create attractive tourism products around it).
“The Maya Train needs to have tourism products developed around it because the jungle alone isn’t an attraction for tourists. Parks, hotels, places to see wildlife, plants, trees, birds, etc., are not enough,” he said, adding that “there are many options, but they need to be created. The Maya Train is safe; the key is to create tourism products around it to enrich it.”
Source: reportur
