March 21 Updates:
Current Prices into & out-of Merida-Teya:
Jan 29 Updates:
Current The Tren Maya track sections between Cancun airport and Playa del Carmen are scheduled to open on Feb. 29.
Also: The new official ON-LINE site to check train schedules and book tickets is here:
https://www.entradastrenmaya.com.mx/reserva?fbclid=IwAR0gjAZuJCsOLbaPVBc5PEVmRqGpFa3rPODRSdckpr0d1xQop03TOv8Sw-A
Jan. 20 News:
Mexico unveiled special INAUGURAL ROUTES and special INAUGURAL trains between Cancun – Merida- Campeche on Dec. 15, 2023, as one just subpart … of just one level … of Tren Maya’s 5 different kinds of trains. In the meantime, a number of major stations (“estaciónes”) have opened and are now selling tickets:
Cancun, Valladolid, Merida Teya, Palenque, San Francisco de Campeche, Tenabo, Hecelchakan, Calkini, Maxcanu, Tixkokob, Izamal, Escárcega, Carrillo Puerto/Champoton and Edzna are selling tickets, as of 1/16/2024. This is important, because the online E-Ticket website has not worked, (yet), so we must either go to a currently active train estaciónes** (major station) OR to the official Tren Maya office in Nia Torre, Merida.
aka … C49 #255 x C34 y C47 Diag.
Bring your ID. 😉
Where to Find Current Updated Train Schedules:
The most accurate place to check on departure & arrival times for the current very-limited* INAUGURAL Tren Maya services, is to go online to the E-ticket website (even though it does not yet work to buy tickets):
https://www.entradastrenmaya.com.mx/reserva?fbclid=IwAR0gjAZuJCsOLbaPVBc5PEVmRqGpFa3rPODRSdckpr0d1xQop03TOv8Sw-A
What’s Coming in the Future:
*Because the current very limited Inaugural Tren service is not representative of the ultimate future 5 Tren Maya different programs, the Tren Maya overall system will likely not be fully completely finished for as much as 2 years from now.
Still, it’s fun to consider what’s coming:
There will be Electric trains, Touristic Trains, Local Passenger Trains, Express Trains … and FREIGHT RAIL Service to from the Oaxaca/Veracruz Isthmus de Tehuantepec BIG rail corridor and new Pacific Ocean port, for FREIGHT TRAINS shipping Chinese, Vietnamese, Thailand, Indonesian, Malaysian, Indian, Japanese, Taiwanese, and Korean goods & parts & materials – shipped by containers direct to Merida by Tren Maya’s upcoming freight train service.
As the big new industrial, manufacturing complexes west & northwest of Merida build out, those big business, High Tech complexes between Merida & Sisal, Merida & Celestun, and Merida-Papacal-Progreso open and expand, they will get parts & materials and goods from ALL the Asian Tiger nations shipped directly by rail to Merida, using Tren Maya freight trains that are 20X times more efficient than dirty truck traffic. Further, with the construction & opening of a NEW DEEP WATER port in Progreso, all the new factories of Merida-Papacal will be able to ship finished goods by big containerized freight ships directly to the USA, Canada & Europe.***
=> Merida will be very different in 15 yrs.
In addition to the future mega-Freight Train service, Tren Maya will also ADD Express Trains (high speed rail) and Touristic Trains that ALL use the major stations (Estaciones – see below), and the Local Passenger trains (stopping at lots of local smaller Paraderos) … also consider how the Tren Maya will deliver container loads of materials & goods from the Asian Tigers directly to shops & factories in Merida.
See the Report at :https://yucalandia.com/2023/08/13/new-study-on-why-some-people-attract-mosquitoes-while-others-repel-mosquitoes-2/?fbclid=IwAR0seGZH6eVfoppxR-gdbhuRNo7ZSV7WFvgCfnfEX64kKYQejlRh2gJpVLE
~ ~ ~ ~
Ticket Pricing on these INITIAL INAUGURAL … slow train … short routes:
Notice that this set of prices is based on fares out of Merida-Teya’s station.
Notice that it shows 2 CURRENT levels of service: “Clase Premier” that includes wider seats, food and beverages, along with cheaper basic “Clase Turista” service. Also note that you have to be a local, with a local official ID, or INAPAM to get the “Tarifia Especial” prices, like the $22 peso price for Merida-Tixkokob.
and yes, these values above come from Tren Maya’s Instagram page.
For the longer Campeche – Merida – Cancun Routes:
Estación Cancún: Cancún, Quintana Roo & Estación Campeche: Campeche:
By March 1’st they will have all the first, preliminary sections of only main tracks open for Tren Maya. Only the “tourist-loop” routes will be open, and only the slow Tren Xi’inbal services will be running, and only some stations (estaciónes) and some paraderos (local stops) will be open by March 1’st, 2024.Still, there’s a lot more in the Tren Maya plans that will happen in the future (Fast Express trains, freight trains, ELECTRIC trains, Electric-Hybrid trains, and a BIG NATURAL GAS PIPELINE running next to the Tren Maya rails, to feed natural gas to Merida … along with all the other fun Tren Maya services still to be rolled out.Things in the Tren Maya’s FUTURE Pipeline:
Because we will elect a new President in June, 2024, we will have to wait to see how our next President prioritizes the following Tren Maya projects:
Nov. 7, 2023 Original news
AMLO announced several details about the various Tren Maya programs yesterday.
~ Passenger rail tickets will go on sale Dec. 1, 2023 for “Tramo 2, 3, y 4 del Proyecto Ferroviaro” … (See link below for details)**
Obviously tickets will being sold for just the completed parts of the 5 different Tren Maya sub-programs.
~ As a general rule: Ticket prices will be set at 10% lower than the bus costs for the same routes. Past reports said that the cheapest slow train, stopping at all the local stops, will charge just $50 pesos. The next level up (lujo) of the slow train with local stops may cost $75 peso. The fast Tourist Train will be priced 10% below the typical bus prices for the same routes.
~ Just as our government will inaugurate (open) Le Parque La Plancha in Merida on Sunday, Nov. 19, they will inaugurate the stop at the Cancun International Airport on Dec. 1 .
~ The Campeche to Cancun loop (Tramos 2, 3, & 4 – see map below) will OPEN for service on Dec. 15, 2023.
~ The Cancun to Palenque route (Tramos 1 through 5) are planned to open by Feb. 29, 2024.
Background Information:
“Section 2 of the Tren Maya covers 234 km from Campeche, from Escárcega to Calkiní, with a route that crosses six municipalities and 31 towns, You can ascend and descend at two stations and three stops, reported the general director of the National Fund for Tourism Promotion (Fonatur)… “
SEE Red-Line in this map:
“The Mayan Train track in Section 2 (Tramo 2) is already finished and consists of 234 kilometers throughout six municipalities, from Escárcega to Calkiní, in the state of Campeche,
where the works have generated 27 thousand jobs, reported the general director of the Mayan Train company, Óscar David Lozano Águila.”
“.. the Campeche Railway Bypass, of 18.76 kilometers that is being built as a very important component of this route, the five viaducts were also completed and the 49 pedestrian, vehicular and wildlife crossings … “
” … on this Section 2 route, the Mayan Train benefits more than 535 thousand people who live in the area according to data from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi).”
” … the Section 2 route will have five stations located in Carrillo Puerto-Champotón, Edzná, San Francisco Campeche, Tenabo and Hecelchakán, as well as a Maintenance Base in Edzná and an operations yard in Pomuch as part of the infrastructure that will provide the transportation service. cargo on the Mayan Train. “
” ESTACIONES:
Las estaciones que están proyectadas para la operación en distintas fases del proyecto son las siguientes:
NOTICE that the “Estaciones” are the major railway stations for the ~fast~ Tourist train version of Tren Maya to stop at … MEANWHILE the 2 levels of slower Passenger local trains will have lots of additional local stops (Paradereos)
Be sure to look at the second map below for all the smalller local stops – Paraderos – for the 2 slower levels of passenger trains …
* * * *
Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry
Read-on MacDuff . . .
Surviving Yucatan 
Great, up to date info
This is the most comprehensive report I have yet to read on the Tren Maya. I really appreciate how you tracked down official current prices, links to the train schedule, a list of all the places we can buy tickets,
Unlike so many other mostly incomplete, touristy; RAH RAH internet articles. this report presents basically only positive, factual, useful information, with only a minor amount of personal comments.
As there has never been a project in MX that’s this big of an undertaking. … it is REALLY IMPRESSIVE how much they have already completed, ON TIME, ~AS PROMISED~.
AMLO’s use of the MX army seems to be working, to deliver this first small part of the programs on time.
My personal reason for scrutinizing the Tren Maya is singlular. … I look forward someday to a really *special experience* trip from Sf d Campeche to aeropuerto Cancun.
The current limited INAUGURAL Tren Maya services’ times don’t fit my current needs, so,
In the meantime, I will keep using ADO, until they bring all the new future services on-line.
Cheers!
Keep up the GOOD WORK, Yucalandia !
Thank you “First Last” for the kind words.
We try hard to present the facts, based on watching the last year of Matutina ~ Mañanera official daily reports by our Mex. Gobierno, and many recnent reliable first person reports from people using the current inaugural trains.
Steve
Thank you for the up-to-date information. I only hope I can get down there in the next year or so to use the tren.
I would love to know what they consider ex-pats as? And is a Tulum issued DL an ID form?
Official approved Govt. ID’s include Residente visa cards, and INAPAM cards, as proof of qualifying for “National” level taxpayer-subsidized discounts & “Local” level taxpayer-subsidized discounts.
BTW … Only state’s issue Driver’s Licenses in Mexico. Municipalities like Tulum do not issue driver’s licences.
well as far as the DL, that change is very very recent. 4-5 months ago I exchanged my US license at the Police station in Tulum. But yes, now it’s at Imoveqroo.