Government promises restoration plan for Maya Train environmental damage

Conceding that operation of the Maya Train caused biology harm, Mexico’s Environment Ministry (Semarnat) announced a restoration program for the damaged ecosystem.

Environment Minister Alicia Bárcena connected Wednesday said the authorities is preparing a program to code the ecological harm and volition question to solicit input from section communities.

Tuvimos un fructífero diálogo entre titulares del assemblage ambiental y periodistas de diferentes medios sobre la Política Ecológica y Ambiental Humanista de la presidenta @Claudiashein. ¡Gracias por su interés! Su labour es esencial para informar las acciones que impulsamos.
🇲🇽🤝🍃 pic.twitter.com/tLlOuCn3DD

— Alicia Bárcena (@aliciabarcena) April 1, 2025

The Maya Train stretches 1,554 kilometers (966 miles), connecting cities and agrarian areas of the Yucatán Peninsula. The US $30-billion mega-project was a large absorption of erstwhile President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s administration. Construction began successful June 2020 and partial operations began successful December 2023.

Bárcena outlined immoderate of the issues that the restoration program would purpose to rectify, including problems related to autochthonal fauna.

She said that immoderate of the mesh netting placed on tracks would beryllium removed truthful arsenic to let the escaped question of section wildlife specified arsenic jaguars, tapirs and deer. Wildlife crossings should besides beryllium improved, she said.

“The restoration required … indispensable beryllium broad due to the fact that it indispensable impact reforestation,” Bárcena said. “Local communities tin beryllium a important origin successful helping reconstruct the jungle ecosystem.”

Greenpeace México called the government’s remedial actions “positive,” portion asking successful a societal media station if the actions projected would beryllium enough.

In a published statement, Greenpeace México insisted that it is captious for Semarnat to question nationalist engagement and consult with experts.

The biology enactment did connection praise for Semarnat’s announcement that it is considering designating the region’s aquifer, which includes underground caves and cenotes, a biosphere reserve. Cenotes, which are communal successful the Yucatán Peninsula, are earthy pits oregon sinkholes formed by the illness of limestone bedrock, frankincense exposing groundwater.

“The aquifer is 1 of the main h2o sources successful the region,” Greenpeace said successful a statement. “It connects divers ecosystems and contains archaeological and paleontological items of incalculable value.”

The planetary biology enactment besides said simply removing mesh netting and improving wildlife crossings is not enough. “Concrete measures indispensable beryllium implemented to warrant reproduction and endurance of threatened taxon specified arsenic the jaguar,” it said, adding that biologic corridors that person been obstructed indispensable beryllium restored.

The Maya Train loops astir the Yucatán Peninsula, passing done some tourer destinations and Indigenous communities. (Tren Maya)

It besides wondered whether reforestation efforts could perchance beryllium capable considering that astir 10 cardinal trees were toppled. When proposing the Maya Train project, López Obrador had declared that “not a azygous histrion would beryllium chopped down.”

As portion of the government’s reforestation project, the National Forestry Commission (Conafor) volition besides question to reconstruct damaged mangroves.

A Conafor authoritative said the reforestation task would beryllium funded by the operation companies progressive successful gathering the Maya Train, but nary details were presented to reporters. The authorities did not supply a outgo estimation nor did it explicate erstwhile the restoration enactment mightiness begin.

Environmental and assemblage activists battled Maya Train project

Since the inception of the project, biology and Indigenous activists voiced objections to the train’s construction.

Environmental activists decried the monolithic demolition of the peninsula’s jungle and the government’s evident nonaccomplishment to transportation retired biology interaction studies. They besides argued that the alloy and cement pilings being utilized had pierced done the roofs of underground limestone caves, destroying the archaeological and geological practice of the region.

Indigenous activists complained that section communities — mostly populated by Indigenous Maya — were not decently consulted, adjacent those that were forced to relocate. Others wondered if the section Indigenous civilization would beryllium destroyed.

A Maya Train rider waits to committee successful Cancún. (Cuartoscuro)

Opponents often won impermanent injunctions against the project, but the authorities either ignored the rulings oregon managed to overturn the decisions connected appeal.

Earlier this year, a determination by a national tribunal halted the operation of 2 of the 7 sections of bid lines — Lines 5 and 7 — but critics said the ruling came excessively precocious arsenic the tracks were virtually completed and the harm to surrounding ecosystems was already done.

The Sélvame del Tren activistic corporate — a changeless thorn successful the government’s broadside — said it was grateful that the authorities yet acknowledged the biology damage, but said it volition proceed to talk retired if restoration efforts travel up short.

With reports from Animal Político and El País