Can Mexico’s New Mega Train Solve its Regional Inequality?

[@breadbaskets2772]

I dont think a single rail project has ever gone under budget, the initial number is always smaller than the final one

[@wile123456]

Yea, accidents happen, unexpected stuff happens, like finding old ruins where you're digging, or delays from global actors or weather all play a role. Infastructure projects shouldn't be graded like it's some marketing firm that needs to stay in budget completely. Infastructure pays itself backs infinite fold over time

[@timetraveller4116]

Well I bet they beat california. Y Jue Puta....

[@KrustyKrabPizza22]

​@@wile123456People dont understand this. In Minnesota there's a plan to add more regional rail, and they're expanding the lightrail. People are mad its overbudget when they've both already brought in a ton of new development and they're not even done yet.

[@christopherg2347]

If you pass 3 times the budget, that speaks of corruption or lies about the cost.

[@Jovasa]

The first phase of Tampere tramway finished three months early and 1% under budget couple of years ago

[@renatohuarte9928]

The Project of the Interoceanic Train Is also worth analyzing since it might have an important role with the Panama Canal having not enough water.

[@Hitman-tk6en]

Yeah I hour this video was about that line tren maya is a region of Mexico getting more and more tourism and makes sense to invest so it’s a project that would pay off in the long run the inter oceanic train is more interesting since if it works could transform Mexico into a global leader in manufacturing and trade

[@sdb2885]

What I just wonder is why did no one from the private sector offer to build it before. I mesn Sued build the canal in Egypt being a french private company. Then they tried Panama, Eiffel also tried Panama but it was the Americans who finally managed to make the canal. 3 massive investments and none ever in Mexico. Somehow they always saw potential in Panama but never in the interoceanic passage.

[@raulsanchez7451]

​@sdb2885 Initially, the corridor was inaugurated by President Porfirio Díaz on January 23, 1907 in order to transport merchandise from the Pacific to the east coast of the United States. But it did not grow much because the Asian countries did not have as much development as now, today all the Pacific ports are the most important and here the importance of Mexico's inter-oceanic corridor. But what Mexico is looking for is to turn that region into a center of industrial development. 

[@sdb2885]

@@raulsanchez7451The Asian tigers rose in the 70’s and 80’s. If there was market demand it would have already been expandes in those decades. The problem with the build and they will come approach is that you can build it and they might still not come.

[@raulsanchez7451]

@sdb2885 The route was built, but the bad Prian governments never developed it, nor did they invest, Mexico has monetary capacity without the need to wait for foreign investment...Mexico must encourage its own investment

[@Steve-dx6dq]

Giant rail project takes 2.5 years to build. Meanwhile the crosstown train in Toronto has taken like 12 years, still not done.

[@luislicona386]

To be fair, the Maya Train project had full support from the federal and state governments plus the advantage of being built in an area that was sparsely populated and kinda lacking in infrastructure. Although it wasn’t free of criticism, enough people welcomed it that NIMBYs weren’t as big of a problem as they would be in a major city. I visited Toronto recently and loved the transit there (especially the GO trains). I know it’s frustrating to wait but I’m sure the wait will be worth it. Can’t wait to ride the new metro line! Saludos from Mexico and I hope to visit there soon 👍🏼🇲🇽🇨🇦

[@geofflepper3207]

It's a lot easier to build out in the countryside than in a densely part of a city where there is already a lot of infrastructure that cannot be disrupted (especially building a new subway station under an old subway station) and where a lot of people are living, working, shopping and traveling and must be allowed to continue to do so. And of course it's like those home renovation project shows one sees on TV in that once one starts ripping things apart all sorts of hidden problems are revealed. I thought that the 4 or 5 years to create a right of way for streetcars on Saint Clair seemed more outrageous as they didn't need to dig a tunnel. Especially after I saw a talk by the New York City Transportation Commissioner who said that she blocked cars from using two lanes of traffic on a road to make it more pedestrian friendly with just one weekend's work - just some signs, some paint, some concrete barriers and some picnic chairs and tables set up on the lanes transformed to pedestrian space and suddenly a road that was effectively a highway through a densely populated neighborhood became a regular downtown road and a desolate sidewalk space became filled with pedestrians and people just hanging out. Even though the standards didn't have to be as high because it was just a trial it certainly sounds more efficient than taking 5 years to create a streetcar right of way on St Clair. I remember seeing so many signs on houses in the area protesting the endless work on St Clair.

[@P71ScrewHead]

Key reason for getting done so fast is presidente AMLO declared it a matter of National Security n put the military in charge, as well as the military will make money from it, vs a private company keeping most of the profits as they wanted when AMLO sought to hire them..

[@Williams_Games_YT]

Compare Mexican workers with anyone in the world...just do it.

[@Williams_Games_YT]

​good planing and enough budget and you can build on the air, and as tall as 100 meters above the ground.

[@cheensenm]

Criticism aside, this train project still look better than many stalled American rail project (except Brightline train) , and Mexican train quality can potentially step ahead of USA if they also revitalizing another derelict train line, and resurrecting long gone passenger line between major cities.

[@xiphoid2011]

the problem with American rail is that nobody really wants it. Most people have their own cars and can easily drive everywhere for free. This is very different from my home country of China. Mexico is probably the same as China, where most people don't have cars.

[@valentin7935]

​@@xiphoid2011 literally everybody has a car in Mexico, I don't no anyone in the country that hasn't. But Mexico has a long history of having trains until the 90s until the government privatized them. So many people remember the trains and for longer distances people would prefer trains as they are more comfortable and cheaper than cars or the bus :)

[@ZachLDB]

@@xiphoid2011People have expensive and environmentally destructive cars that take forever to travel from point to point in standstill traffic because the US invest trillions in war and not their own infrastructure. Plenty of examples in the world to show people will use trains while having cars, but China is the prime example and leader. Even slow Amtrack has consistently been hitting record passengers and need expanding. If they build it, people will use it.

[@EbonySaints]

​@@xiphoid2011"drive everywhere for free" I've heard one too many complaints about gas to know that isn't true, much less the other costs as well as the subsidies provided to car travel. Also, God forbid you don't have a car. Getting across the city is now an all-day affair. Getting to the next one is either going to involve some luck with bus routes, someone willing to cart you, or a really good pair of boots.

[@mohammedsarker5756]

@@xiphoid2011 this is literal bullshit, people switch to transit when given good options. 80% of New Yorkers commute by subway and over 50% of NYC adults don' even have a driver's license, this isn't magic a good enough transit network makes cars redundant. We built this nation on rail, we ripped it up out of ignorance of sound urban planning or deliberate sabotage by the auto companies and NIMBY any proposal to high hell and back

[@marco477utep]

The Yucatan peninsula is almost as large as Germany which lacks infrastructure for economic development. The train Maya will definitely help and it's amazing that a modern railroad system which will expand almost all of Germany territory will be finished in four years. Good for you Mexico.

[@amaizeing.dumbass5123]

Only if they also used it as a freight train, not just a passenger one

[@TablTabl]

​@@amaizeing.dumbass5123 true but "tren maya" isnt the only train builded in the south theres also a second one the interoceanic train that just started to work a few weeks ago that will transport boxes from ships from one ocean to the other ocean...

[@P71ScrewHead]

@@amaizeing.dumbass5123 it offers both.. This will also benefit Belize n central America via cheaper n faster delivery of Mexican oil n all other supplies..

[@luislelucho4419]

@@amaizeing.dumbass5123 Tendra ambos usos, el tren forma parte de un gran proyecto nacional de conectar via ferroviaria todo el territorio, teniendo su punto mas importante en el Corredor del Itsmo de Tehuantepec.

[@walljumper2001]

Moderno? Por qué un tren con generador eléctrico de diesel? Por qué no un tren de alta velocidad y eléctrico? Tipo de señalítica de trenes? Proyecto mediocre de un gobierno mediocre

[@CKW10001]

The US needs to look at Poland as an example, as it's now starting to be a powerhouses of Europe. Mexico can be a European country in North America if they keep moving in the right direction.

[@netsixo]

What the hell does that even mean.

[@axelnovati]

Please don't compare us to Europe. Do we want to become a developed country? Yes Do we aim to be like Europe? Definitely no.

[@CKW10001]

@@axelnovati i only mentioned a similar level to Europe in GDP terms. I stated the US should look to Europe in how Nations have developed under the EU Project. If Mexico had a thriving country like that in Canada and where I mentioned Europe to have a GDP level like Spain or a rapid rising one of that to Poland, then the US wouldn't have a migrant crisis. What's wrong with Europe, since you're so well informed about Europe?

[@CKW10001]

@@netsixo read it and contextualise it.

[@axelnovati]

Yeah. But if we have the same consumption and exports as Europeans, México GDP would be more than 6 Trillions just because of its population. Of course that number won't happen even in the mid term but I can see Mexico surpassing the 2.5 Trillion mark before 2030.

[@RipCityBassWorks]

Damn that's impressive: Mexico built a new mainline in 2.5 years, yet the US has been working on CAHSR for over a decade with little progress.

[@johnpendergraph6952]

True. Then again CHSR actually has/had to pay for all the land that was used. No, we'll pay you (later) wink wink.

[@alexescalanteb]

The way to do it is to have an authoritarian president, designate everything as "national security" so no enviromental or commercial injunctions can be filed against it, be 3x times over budget and use all the power of the state to silence media outlets around the flagrant corruption.

[@pamelahernandez2010]

Is not impreasive because is full of corruption. We have a lack of education, health system and insecurity and the president decided that a train is the way to go spending a lot of money for nothing.

[@RubenAlbertoMorenoZavala]

Nah, that's just government propaganda. The part of the train that was built was just 1/5 of the original project, but at a cost three times higher than the original full project. A complete scam.

[@drdewott9154]

Not really. Only a small part is done and even that is unfinished. Like the line is for instance gonna have 2 tracks as well as electrification. Neither is done as of yet. The railway is basically in beta-access so to speak. Plus the Tren Maya train is much slower than California High speed rail. Its max speed is just 100mph, which is slower than many Amtrak services, especially in the midwest and east coast. CAHSR trains are gonna run at 200mph, literally twice as fast, which requires much bigger investment, stronger foundations, gentler curves and so on. The one project you could compare Tren Maya to is probably Brightline in Florida as both run at similar speeds. Tren Maya will run at a consistent 100mph. Brightline can reach 125mph but spends most of its route going either 110mph or 75mph. Station facilities are also similar across the 2 projects and they serve similar distances and markets, with both having a big focus on tourists and upper class travellers.

[@raulsanchez7451]

I'm Mexican and I support the train and our government, for the first time we have a president that is working in favor of his people and not for foreign investors.

[@mischievousjr.9299]

Yes! Exactly, many past presidents, specifically from PRI had privatized so many industries and resources.

[@rIcL2896]

I hope more people could see this. Too much lies from mainstream Mexican media. Animo!

[@KW-12]

No amigo, él es igual que el viejo PRI. Pero aceptemos que como todos los presidentes ha tenido tanto aciertos como errores.

[@AlanDeAnda1]

@@KW-12 Es como el viejo PRI nacionalista pero sin corrupción exagerada.

[@soniarobledo2570]

Viva Amlo

[@EpsilonNPC]

It feels every road and rail project always has someone calling it an environmental disaster

[@Entertainment-]

According to some environmentalists we should all live in caves and eat grass to limit our environmental impact.

[@the0ne809]

I wonder what happened to the 4th largest lake in the world between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. I guess we will never know.

[@Snp2024]

​@@the0ne809badland chuggs drank it all

[@MaxParadiz]

Well, they often are. The impact that humans have had on the world's environments has been quite disastrous. Many developed countries have no more pristine natural areas - they consist largely of farmland cities, and sometimes small protected areas sprinkled in between. Our current extinction rate is orders of magnitude above the baseline. This train is fragmenting the Yucatan peninsula in a way that will affects the mobility of multiple species, and it is a species like the Jaguar, Tapir, snakes, and deer that already have significantly limited ranges will have their ranges limited even more. I have seen the "tunnels" that are meant to allow animals to cross and I doubt that they will be particularly effective - those crossings are too sparse. I guess it depends on what you consider an environmental disaster. If you define a disaster by the effect it has on humans in the short term, then environmental disasters are rare because we can survive the extinction of frogs and salamanders. But many people do consider the extinction of a species - be it an amphibian, a mammal, or a plant - to be an irreversible and catastrophic disaster. It really comes down to where one places value, and it is true that many people don't place value on species diversity and natural areas. Similar things can be said of the archaeology. The train is passing areas that still have not been excavated due to the lack of resources, and the excavation due to construction work will not preserve the valuable archaeological artifacts in the same way that modern archaeological expeditions would. I personally don't place as much value on archaeology, but I can appreciate that to someone who values history seeing the machines plowing through the unexplored mayan jungle is very painful. For me, it is just depressing to see the scale of the destruction when driving between Merida and Cancun. I grew up exploring these jungles and seeing the amount of jungle that is being turned into limestone pits, it is a powerful and sad image. I understand that there are some economic arguments to justify the destruction, but when I balance the economic arguments against what I see, it just doesn't feel worth it. Admittedly, it comes down to values, not reason.

[@Nikolasz1173]

Tell this to someone who is not eaten in 3 days about your environmental disaster. That a few trees are more improtant than poor people...@@MaxParadiz

[@adriangarcia7890]

But there is something you hasn't talk about and is literaly related to this project: The interoceanic corridor route that also has been built on this zone that is connecting cargo from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, that also is integrated to this project too. Which means that all this zone of the contry can has a good revenue, such as getting integrated on the proces of developing new industries and services along that route. And it make sense if you get to know what has been hapenning with the Panama's canal during the past recent times.

[@eddiereyna1155]

That’s right

[@drdewott9154]

Yeah. The Interoceanico has been much more haphazardly managed and is much less fancy than the headline grabbing Tren Maya so there's definitely that. The Interoceanico is much slower at just 100km/h and uses old train purchased secnd hand from abroad. Namely old British and North American trains. But hopefully it all works out. It would be nice to see the Interoceanico perhaps be upgraded to similar standards as Tren Maya in the future though.

[@eddiereyna1155]

@@drdewott9154 lies

[@pottertheavenger1363]

The idea is to kickstart a revival of passenger train across the country. It's commonly believed that the next great railway will be Guadalajara-México-Querétaro.

[@100c0c]

Will that be high speed?

[@Orbirik]

the México Querétaro line, which would be the most profitable in the country, as volume of passengers is already massive, had been promised since 1960s. We should not expect it soon. Not in the list of presidential promises.

[@VictorPerez-vu1fo]

​​@@100c0cI highly doubt that, the Maya train is a diesel operated train and is in no way close to being high speed. So we can assume any other rails will be the same

[@manuelgonzalezledesma4382]

@@VictorPerez-vu1fo Tendrías que tratar de entender el por qué es diferente un tren para la península (no de alta velocidad) y un tren para comunicar México-Querétaro (de alta velocidad). ¿Por qué deben ser diferentes? Si puedes, todos ganamos. Por cierto el tren Maya es en parte diésel y parte eléctrico.

[@linuxsisschannel8602]

​@VictorPerez-vu1fo it's both diesel and electric trains, and the average speed will be 160 but the rails design to even reach 300km/h

[@FaustVaz]

When this guys country tears down mountains splits marine ecosystems in half they call it a feat of engineering. When Mexico does a project its controversial, costly and the environment is being impacted (which is in all cases).

[@P71ScrewHead]

Haha, yes.. Always happens..

[@JosephStJames2000]

As someone with family in the Yucatan peninsula, I view this project extremely positively. While the single-ticket price is high, it is actually very reasonable for someone who wants out of a small impoverished village. It will not only bring in people, but it will also allow people to escape generations of poverty. And as is the custom in Mexico, money will then be sent back to those poorer towns. Given that the host of this video seems to be from train-rich Great Britain or Europe, I don't think he can disparage a rail project too much.

[@renzoqu]

Os han vendido el monorail

[@ulfatiazul]

Sabemos que ese tren es una porquería para ricos

[@Garcia-elf]

Agree with everything except your opinion on what this guy can say

[@snibber]

The train is trash.

[@swiggles4342]

​@@snibber Could we be enlightened with your opinion on how the project is trash? Or you're just one of those internet r3tards who play Roblox?

[@carlospcpro]

As a Mexican (that actually lives in México and often travels to Cancun) with no political attachments, I can say its a very good project, but its been rushed in order to please the president's desires. Did some things wrong (rushing opening without having finished the stations, not taking a better care for the forest and most importantly, for a few "cenotes" underground), but did other things very good (like hiring Alstom and making the trains in México). Im glad we now have a world class modern passenger train in one of the most beautiful parts of the country - and the world I should say -, but if you are a foreigner please be careful with all the romanticism and political fanatics surrounding the project. Its not real high speed, has had a ton of delays on the first opened parts, there's a lot under construction, legal battles with previous land owners, etc ... but I really hope to have a great success, I believe trains offer a much better transportation experience, especially for tourist.

[@GroundByte]

iirc there also a mix of american and british rolling stock and locomotives, which each have there own interesting quirks. Like most the american stuff is from 70s or early 90s which is not the Mexican government's fault, just that US had stop building or buying new locomotives around the 90s (Amtrak is the exception with semiens locomotives, however the passenger rolling stock is the same old stuff from the late 70s that has seen interior remodeling since), whille the UK locomotive, which from what I understand is some of the early HST locomotives, which means the cab has a tendency to vaporize in a collision due to a lack of protection built in for the driver that wasn't introduced in much later models of the HST. Though one more quirk of the Uk's locomotives and rolling stock is that it uses a smaller loading gauge, making them significantly smaller when place near there US counterparts (This is largely due to trains in the UK having to initially build around the existing infrastructure that limited the size of trains while the US that uses a bigger loading gauge had a lot more room for their trains) and thus makes inter-operation between them nearly impossible (though I don't know a lot about loading gauge for the Alstom train sets, I'd imagine they're using the same loading gauge as the HST or engineered a solution as coupling different loading gauges often leads to issues with couplers being different heights and what not). If anything I'm gonna find the variety of US, French, and British train sets has to be a rather interesting sight to see. Frankly could have a lot going for it in the future when its completely opens for service, and that the right things are done to make more accessible to people

[@adtastic1533]

Bro, it ain't gonna work. Nobody down there is gonna pay that sorta money to catch a train when they can drive. It ain't Europe and it ain't Japan. It's gonna lose a ton of money and be a noose around Mexico's neck.

[@Sephiroth144]

So, TLDR, not too bad a project, and if you're touristing its a great idea to use- in a few years once the kinks get ironed out.

[@OMEGAPSYCHO]

FALSE. Only the vegetation on the train line was cleaned (which already existed previously) and ANY cenote (a deep natural well or sinkhole) was affected; That is bad publicity from his opponents for political and private reasons. The very few trees felled were replaced with another reforestation project (sembrando vida).

[@carlospcpro]

@@OMEGAPSYCHO thanks for being a perfect example of a political fanatic. Foreigners take note please. We love you to have you in Mexico, but beware of this kind of people that are willing to hide all things done wrong with misleading claims and telling others “fake news”. It is what it is my friend. It’s not bad publicity, I’m not an political opponent, I really like the project, but you can’t deny or be blind to the facts. 😌 if you feel attacked it’s because you are feeling insecure, work on that, it’s ok to criticize what’s done wrong and to applaud what’s done right. 😊

[@glenntaylor9144]

I’d imagine the biggest goal is to develop the knowledge of how to build high speed rail because their neighbour in the North is the richest in the world and can’t build a railway for shit. How easy will it be for congress to approve a multibillion dollar project by a friendly neighbour who has a track record of building high speed. The short term benefits also speak for themselves and spreads the wealth. Linking tulum and cancun with the unesco world heritage sites will only help but improve the financial turmoil the south of Mexico finds itself. Best of luck with this Mexico.

[@fdm2155]

I think you mean won't build a railway. That's a decades old public policy issue driven by the auto industry among others.

[@P71ScrewHead]

AMLO declaring it a matter of National Security was 2 middle fingers to USA's clear opposition to this project n all the lawsuits they kept bringing to stall this project n delay it's completion date..

[@Powerful3258]

Is not US don't know how is the oil company doesn't want them to build tren Maya is way over priced for a slow train on old track bad for safety and eco system and poorly design.

[@Phil_AKA_ThundyUK]

Sometimes progress has a cost. If we never did anything for fear of consequences we'd still be living in caves. The UK can stand to learn from this.

[@sdb2885]

Mexico could have invested in more viable projects like the Mexico City airport that was cancelled out of political spite from our incompetent president

[@erikgustafson9319]

No this rail project is stupid

[@adhiwicaksono6149]

@@erikgustafson9319nah what's stupid is taking a decade to build a train only to cancel it anyway.

[@isnitjustkit]

This railway is not ‘progress’

[@no-th6in]

What do you mean our​@@sdb2885

[@kevinschultz6091]

Speaking as someone who went to Cancun a few months ago, I would TOTALLY have taken a train to those destinations. As it was, I went on a bus tour of Chichen Itza - it was fine (and I'm glad I did it), but a train line would have made it much more convenient, and I probably would have seen more than just that one, if the rail was available. I'm guessing it'll also connect the Cancun airport to the Hotel District, which would have been handy. (Although the local bus lines within the district was excellent, IMO - I rode that thing every day.) I can't speak to the utility of it for the locals, of course. But as a gringo on vacation? Sure, sounds like a great idea! Although the issue of increasing the number of tourists at existing sites is well-taken; even when I was there in the boarderline off-season (October), it was still crowded.

[@-ragingpotato-937]

It doesn't connect the airport to the hotel district, the station in Cancun is located right next to the airport. There's simply no space in the Hotel District for it, but I do think they could've gotten it closer to the lagoon. Its not impossible for the Cancun government to bridge the gap with a local commuter train or tram, but there's no plans for it so far.

[@kevinschultz6091]

@@-ragingpotato-937 - Ah, OK - yeah, I just looked at the google maps; looks like they've got a station next to the airport, and another north in Cancun proper. Which makes sense. (I was wondering how they'd serve the local community as a commuter train, if that's what they were going for; looks like that's the answer.) Although I would think that, if they work in the area in the tourist sector, they'd live in Cancun. Maybe it's the other way around? (ie, live in Cancun, work in one of the outlying regions?) Eh, I dunno. Or it's a big excuse to just have a nice train for the tourists, which would be a bit of a shame. Too bad about it not getting into the Hotel district, although I understand the reasoning - trying to avoid getting ripped off by the taxis to get to my hotel wasn't much fun. (I was at the far southern end of the district, and the taxi services kept on insisting that it would cost 80 dollars for a 13 minute drive.

[@MisterJIFF]

The train takes twice as much as the bus and it is not even working

[@kevinschultz6091]

@@MisterJIFF - I thought the bus service was strictly local, whereas the train (in theory) went out a lot further? EDIT - or are you referring to the service between the two stations?

[@geofflepper3207]

In the 1980s I stayed in Cozumel and took a plane to Chichen Itza. I'm taking a wild guess that the train will not be extended to Cozumel. (Yes, I'm joking)

[@Playami]

the prices mentioned here are national tourist prices... there are 3 different prices... international tourist price, national tourist price (the one mentioned in this video,and a much cheaper local price. as a Mexican that has traveled by train in 8 different countries in two continents, I am very happy that trains are coming back to Mexico thanks to the president's initiative. They were privatized in 1997 and became only for cargo. Now passenger trains are coming back hopefully in my lifetime i will be able to go by train from Tijuana all the way to Cancun.

[@mischievousjr.9299]

Yes! The privatization of train routes has had an awful impact on the economy and overall quality of life

[@ulfatiazul]

Just that the Maya train was an ecocide and it will benefit just the Americans and corrupted Mexican politicians that will buy the lands around the train. That project was a trash

[@ignaciopardo9098]

The train is not even high speed, but it's still a good project. I would say that a line between Mexico and Guadalajara or Mexico and Monterrey would be more usefull though. The history of passenger trains in Mexico is quite interesting. Horrible misspronunciation aside🇲🇽, great video as always!!!

[@AsU-yz9lo]

That region doesn't merit a high-speed train, unlike central Mexico where nearly 100 million people live.

[@marcosdeida1440]

El Tren Maya should be able to travel to upto 160 km/h, ca. 100 MPH. Though it isn't high-speed rail, it will be easier to manage, more affordable and faster then car travel for most tourists. The only problem I see is insuring that there will be enough public transportation for riders arriving at train stations. Hopefully they will build out enough infrastructure to make this work.

[@Flipflop437]

British pronunciation of Spanish words always makes me cringe

[@isnitjustkit]

It is not a good project

[@zUJ7EjVD]

High speed trains are a joke. If the rail industry is as developed as Japan’s then why not but otherwise regular speed is fine. High speed is way more expensive and upgrading a line later on can always be done. Worst case there’s always sleeper trains.

[@samuelplouvier6559]

The government has already mapped a national railroad system which will revitalize old vias and contemplates new ones along this decade. I'm personally excited for this project because my grandad was a mechanic who worked on trains and small planes in Chiapas, unfortunately he passed before he could see Tren Maya completed but I'm traveling on it to honor him.

[@Vallarta1969]

This is just the beginning of the new era for the trains in México. In the middle was short term we will be traveling the whole country in modern trains. Viva Mexico.

[@IxtlanDelRio]

Yes, in the next six years we will have 3 new big train lines between the major cities of the country.

[@hugodiazgarcia1266]

Mexico`s new mega train project will help reduce the high regional inequality that exists in our country and will make it more competitive at the international level!!!

[@johnlennon7228]

La "alta desigualdad " veo que está muy presente también en US.

[@Loomaxing]

What the local news has not said is that there is a group of bus owners concerned about the fare, which will cause them to decrease in number, (they talk to you about ADO), which practically has a monopolized service in southern Mexico; and they don't want to compete.

[@FerSpada]

YES

[@UrielCorreaV]

Well, the problem is that the project is being sold as if it were the salvation of Mexico, when in reality there are many promises that the president said about the train and he did not fulfill.

[@mnm5165]

Seems like a vanity project, but at least it is a train though and not an 8 lane highway through the forest, I’m sure a certain other country that borders Mexico would have opted for that option, I won’t say names though 👀

[@eternaldrunk]

inferior thinking 300 lane highways though the entre gay earth or bust

[@legitplayin6977]

@@eternaldrunkok so hear me out. We raze the entirety of Great Britain, and we make it a car park. Am I right or am I right?

[@diek_yt]

It is not at all a vanity project; it is a much needed economic push to the poorest part of the country

[@sdb2885]

​@@diek_ytnot really, only the last tip will touch Chiapas and there sure will be a Starbucks there

[@Orbirik]

@@diek_yt economic push? Could you please elaborate how a tourist passenger train, would benefit local economy? Any future profit, whenever it happens, won't go to the Treasury. Will go to the army. The hotels built in train stops, are owned and operated by the army (and those stops are almost always far away from the city/town center). The train speed is not too far from a car, so not a real substitute to cars, and its price is not competitive, despite artificial reduction. What is the expectation? You really think foreign tourists will stop in non-touristic places? That's not how it works in the rest of the world. Or you expect locals will visit other towns using the expensive train? It is not a commercial or cargo train, so industry and jobs are not its focus. Sure.. some new jobs here and there, like the ticket seller (which is unnecessary if done digitally, like developed countries). But they are very few jobs, with low payment, and thus little economic impact. Costs outweigh its benefits. Time will prove it.

[@michaelbeholder]

While the price or a ticket seems extremely high for the locals, the train (if properly taken care of) will bring lots of business to the region and hopefully lift many from poverty. Many tourists love trains and comfort, myself included 😂

[@bubba842]

It also opens up the possibility for freight trains.

[@jorbaco_]

He's lying, i live in the zone and the cost of the ticket for locals are 50% the price of tourist, and the people over 65 years old have another 50% discount.

[@miguelusaf13]

It’s funded by tourism. Locals have different more affordable prices. Both will benefit.

[@bababababababa6124]

I think Mexico should start upgrading trains between major cities before building trains in the middle of a jungle Still not a bad project. At least they’re doing more than their neighbour to the north. Although I’m not sure about “the greatest project in the world” that’s a stretch

[@Jack-cq9pv]

$68 is steep though for an average deprived southern Mexican citizen, compared to the UK where £50 would be more palatable due to our higher GDP

[@ldubt4494]

There are major cities on Yucatan. Its not just jungle. Also its flat, so its probably cheaper to start there than building rail in the mexican Highlands.

[@christi865]

How what part of this has to do with the USA. Hundreds of thousands of Mexican migrants illegally enter the USA and ruin her southern states

[@gregcollins2121]

Check out the work on the bright line in Florida! You might be presently surprised by the rail infra going in

[@uaskcred]

what trains between major cities?? there are no comercial/passenger trains. This will be the first in decades

[@dianagf91]

In 2021 I did a road trip around the Yucatan peninsula (Cancun -> Tulum -> Bacalar -> Calakmul -> Campeche -> Merida -> Chichenutza -> Cancun). I saw lot of the construction for the tain, since a lot of the train is going next to the existing road. Seems like a fantastic project! Would love to do it again once the train is completed! Also what is up with these environments!? I thought we had agreed trains > cars.

[@P71ScrewHead]

US funded opposition groups n political parties are to blame..

[@RubenAlbertoMorenoZavala]

It seems fantastic because you are not paying it's tax cost, nor it's environmental cost.

[@dianagf91]

@RubenAlbertoMorenoZavala Next time I do this trip, it will be on the tren Maya, which is better for the environment than driving. Also, the train is mostly being funded by a tourism tax, which, as a tourist, I have paid and will be paying again in the future.

[@UrielCorreaV]

The problem is that in order to finish the project quickly for the elections, they ended up building over aquifers (cenotes), it was reported that endangered animals in distinction were killed, as well as the surrounding jungle was cut down. They could have taken measures to mitigate this, but preferred to finish quickly instead of having a low ecological impact.

[@Mictlantecuhtli_83]

@@dianagf91yea of course because ruining pristine rainforest and cenotes is great for the environment

[@victorlopez1872]

The main driver was to invest in the poorest and often forgotten areas of Mexico. It was the right thing to do.

[@felixvergara5627]

Wow, as an "actual" Mexican living in Mexico am glad to read most of the positive comments about the train because here in Mexico the right wing leaning MSM has done nothing but "trash" this train from the beginning; they make it sound as if it were a Bangladeshi or Indian train and as if ALL of the jungle was destroyed to accommodate the train...This seems to be a very well-researched video, BRAVO...

[@enric-x]

MEXICO HAS STATES, not "regions"

[@mischievousjr.9299]

Well duh, but regions is a better way to explain the infrastructure and economy of Mexico.

[@la76521]

@@mischievousjr.9299That’s not true… Yucatán and Quintana Roo are two developed states meanwhile Campeche, Tabasco and Chiapas are not. It’s like comparing Florida with Arizona

[@IxtlanDelRio]

Mexico has states and regions!!

[@ZroLod]

Ironically there are many porcine farms in the region which those "ambientalist" doesn't talk about

[@mischievousjr.9299]

4:01 thank you so much for covering this section of mexico and highlighting the northern states because many of them usually go to the U.S for work and send a lot of money back which obviously boosts their economy. They're always the ones to get the most representation in U.S

[@raulms5731]

In fact, most immigrants from Mex we coming from south Mex.

[@mischievousjr.9299]

@@raulms5731 well depends on the context, as of 1990-2010 yes Any year before 1990 no Southern Mexicans would go to the Capital City, my grandpa went to CDMX from Costa Chica to become a chef and went back meanwhile my pops went to US

[@KW-12]

As a Mexican I can say that during the "Porfiriato" (A time where a man named Porfirio Díaz goberned that last lasted around 30 years) there were built many Km of trains over all the country. Unfortunately, newer gobernmets dropped the idea and many rails were dismantled or unused because they copied the U.S model of having cars, highways & living in suburbs and working at big cities, which hasn't worked at all here. Hope in a future trains really come back to Mexico, but the orography here isn't easy for trains, so it isn't cheap.

[@reonalfa1562]

That train 🚆 is amazing 😻, such a beautiful view

[@giansideros]

2:25 this is sloppy, $68 for a trip from Cancun Airport to Palenque is a bargain, it's a 10 hour car ride at about 840km, or 520 miles!

[@alexgranados8719]

The big idea here is connecting the Tren Maya with the Tren Interoceánico and competing with the Panamá Canal. Now the South of Mexico can be more convenient for factories that want the flexibility to export via the Atlantic or the Pacific Ocean.

[@diegopacheco4854]

As a mexican we Support a 100% the maya Train project . You are welcome to visit us. 😊

[@Orbirik]

I'm a Mexican, and let me explain some issues here. 1. The biggest problem is that, outside the Cancun-Tulum path, there's no demand in the other sections. Currently, people are not moving in volumes enough in these routes, so substitution into train is feasible. This means the route is not logical or necessary from a transportation or an economic perspective. If you add up all the alternatives in car/bus and flight in the exact same route, numbers don't match. There were other high-volume routes to try first, like CDMX-Queretaro. 2. Speed of the train is another issue. There is no significant saving by using train vis-a-vis a car. Thus, substitution could be hard. Note: yeah max speed seems high, but that is irrelevant. Only average standard speed is important. Cars can go 250km/hr, but they won't in average. 3. Cost. Even if subsidized, which Mexican governments tend to abuse and misuse, it is too expensive. Mexicans are particularly sensitive on price, and several prior infrastructure projects failed because they were cents more expensive than alternatives three times slower. 4. Lack of knowledge. Mexicans used to have passenger trains... more than 60 years ago. There is no corpus of engineers or experts on the topic. Many decisions, like the rail path, were remade several times due mistakes, increasing cost and impact on environment. In most of the world, planning takes a lot of time in any project, sometimes years. Not here: construction began at same time as planning. Consequences are obvious. 5. No transparency. Government is generally militarizing México. Everything, from ports to airports, to airlines, hospitals and banks, and practical any public or private service, is being granted to the military. The train is paid with taxes, built by the military, but any income will not go to the Treasury, but to the military. Any and all relevant documents on the project are sealed as confidential due national security, and not made public. Consider that unlike the rest of the region, the military have been silent and uninvolved in politics or the economy since 1942. They have no prior experience or knowledge on these topics at all. The Ministries that would know better, like the Ministry of Transportation, or the Ministry of Tourism, were sidelined for the military. 6. What we know is that this is not really a transportation project, but a real estate one. Very large portions of land have been seized by the government, not for rails, but for hotels and touristic development, to be owned and run by the military in very shady schemes. 7. Energy. The Yucatan peninsula is energy deficient. There's no natural resource there to locally use for energy, so all has to be "imported". Thus, the trains are not electric, but Diesel or "mixed". Which, if you are an engineer, you understand all what that means. In any case, even "electric" trains here, rely on thermoelectric plants running on oil. 8. Land. Yucatan peninsula land is porous. Due the dinosaur meteorite impact, Yucatan has the largest underground water reservoir, in the mode of underground rivers and lakes (cenotes). Yucatan towns have no normal roads sewage system for rain water. In minutes the rain water is gone. If you dig, you'll likely find water very quick. It's quite normal that out of nothing, the land breaks up and reveal an underground cenote (and sometimes with accidents). That's why there are no tall buildings in Mérida or Campeche. The weight of the train, is a risky endeavor. And true, it could pollute the largest freshwater reservoir of the country. 9. Stations. Normally in Europe or Asia, train stations are located very close to every stop city/town center. Not here. They are far away, even in Cancun and Tulum. How are people supposed to arrive? In car? but... that was the point of a train... 10. Environment. This has been very noisy. Several thousands of jungle and rainforest accres, including those inside protected areas and national parks, were erased, without prior and proper environmental impact assessment. First, government issued a law claiming it was unnecessary. After that failed at court, they issued a law where the assessment would be fast- track. Since it is given to itself, no problem. Magically it was all done at once. And since it is national security, impossible to be reviewed. Considering the mistakes done by non-experts... 11. Archeology. Thousands of Maya artifacts were discovered by the train workers. While this seems good, many experts are worried there aren't sufficient experts oversight in all the simultaneous working places to properly take care and preserve findings, which workers can unintendedly destroy. Figures say that 50% of all discoveries are being destroyed. 12. Indigenous people. Under the Constitution, it was mandatory to consult them. A sham consultation, similar to the one made "nationally" to vote for the project where around 2% of people voted, was made with the local indigenous communities. The indigenous organizations went to legal actions, just to be threatened and persecuted. 13. Crime. The Yucatan peninsula is quite safe, except the Riviera Maya. Cancún gets so many tourists and money, that cartel and gangs operate there. Government and military have been largely unsuccessful to control it, and there's enough evidence there might even be colussion. The train could spread crime and violence into where it doesn't yet exist. 14. Trials. Normally, trains are tested and trialed in many aspects before the train can be used, for safety. Not here: Line 1 was inaugurated before the tests were conducted (and before stations have finished construction). Political pictures and speeches are more important than safety. All in all, there are many problems with this ill-planned politicized project. Since the government hates technicians and technocrats, as well as science and technology, it is a matter of time until something goes wrong (it already happened to this government. The México City newest subway line collapsed in a deadly accident. Due same mistakes as here. Nobody has been processed or incarcerated). Mexico deserves better.

[@capsaicin938]

mucho texto

[@Orbirik]

@@capsaicin938 No te preocupes. No estaba dirigido a ti. Y todos sabemos por qué.

[@capsaicin938]

@@Orbirik wey no pongas nada que pueda dar una mala imagen a los extranjeros Lo que menos ocupamos es que ellos piensen que somos un fracaso Mejor halaga a nuestro país

[@Orbirik]

@@capsaicin938 Ese pensamiento mediocre y tercermundista es justo lo que evita que México sea potencia. Lo que está mal hecho, está mal hecho, y nada que se diga cambia el hecho. Deja de solapar la mediocridad. ¿Quieres que hable bien de México? Entonces exijamos que las cosas se hagan al máximo nivel de calidad, para entonces si estar orgullosos. ¿O tu estarías orgulloso de quién reprueba un examen? Eres ciudadano, ejerce tu poder y tu derecho de que tus representantes sean de una calidad digna de ti. Luego por intentar "esconder los problemas" y que "nadie fuera de México se entere", el PRI hizo cosas inaceptables, como la matanza del 68, que tenía como objetivo eliminar las manifestaciones antes que iniciaran las Olimpiadas. Para que la comunidad internacional no se entere. ¿Ves como tu línea de pensamiento solo genera más problemas? Exige calidad.

[@valentin7935]

Hace mucho tiempo no he leído tantas tonterías jajaja típico PRIANista!

[@UrielCorreaV]

I am Mexican and I consider the train a good idea; however, the train has been built more as a government vanity for the elections, ignoring environmental alerts and the recommendations of indigenous communities.

[@CookietheCalico]

pleeeeease stop using light blue and light bluish grey to highlight areas on a map where the sea is also light blue. When you are using graphics to convey information visually you need to consider visual impairments like colourblindness

[@heidibreckenridge9131]

Yucatan península 181,000 km² (70,000 sq mi) population: 8,884,358 England only 130,278 km² (50,301 sq mi) Population 56,500,000 Germany 357,600 km² (138,100 sq mi) Population 84,607,016

[@uninstaller2860]

It taking only 3 or 4 years to pay itself back is massively great! Some projects can take 10 years even up to 20! Edit: I misunderstood this, it's actually not paying itself back but the upkeep will be maintained on ticket sale in 3-4 yrs. A very different thing, wanted to make that clear

[@strato9889]

It’s not paying itself back, it’s covering it’s everyday operating costs That said the point of infrastructure isn’t to make money so not fundamentally an issue

[@uninstaller2860]

@@strato9889 Oooohhh! Damn... You are correct, it's to serve a need

[@sdb2885]

​@@uninstaller2860 what need? More Starbucks in Chiapas?

[@oleogabalo]

And some never do.

[@Orbirik]

even worse: any and all future profit won't go to the public Treasury. It will go to the Military. All costs are paid by citizens. All profits go to the army.

[@broderickgillum8854]

I'm American I Strongly Support Mexico high speed rail project. I love too see our Neighbor developing, there transportation infrastructure.

[@3rdwrldkid]

Its a great project for the people and for the foreigner visiting, so its a good project all around. Be aware of the antis here, you will get a lot of those. All they do is watch mainstream media all day and 90% of the traditional news in México is against the current government but somehow are ok with the previous parties that kept Mexico poor for 100 years. The good thing is that they are a minority.

[@P71ScrewHead]

Amen.. VIVA AMLO, VIVA MEXICO!!

[@earnthis1]

Environmental law suits always come up with big construction projects. This is a good thing and part of the process. Overall, investing in infrastructure is a winner, especially if it's a project like this. Awesome work, Mexico!!

[@FalconsEye58094]

I think Mexico is eventually going to embarrass the US, here we have a president proposing and getting done a big infrastructure project within his one term and in the US we can't be bothered to even fix what we have unless it has some sort of major accident

[@Play4Vida]

USA is still deciding what gender you are...

[@gonzaloluna1989]

I want to go when it is completed and maybe take the whole route. All projects go over on codst these days

[@leozixiliu4646]

The way I notice the dramatic difference between how British and American people pronounce Spanish names 🌝

[@ericktellez7632]

People are talking about Mexico city and guadalajara with a train but the real next engineering feat will be connecting the entire Baja peninsula with a train that goes from Los Cabos to the US border with San Diego and Tijuana. Its incredibly difficult because of the mountains, the terrain and desert but China already did something similar, we just have to adapt it and that would really convert Baja California into a new California.

[@capsaicin938]

Nobody even lives there

[@ElOsinApestosin]

@@capsaicin938the train can help to change that. The president have said he wants to unite the entire country. It will happen but it will take time.

[@angelcabeza6464]

He's just jealous cause all he has is an 8 labe highway that's always back up with traffic ​@@ElOsinApestosin

[@matthewrappe7667]

Pronunciation is usually not good at TLDR, but wow, this was the most egregious so far

[@Play4Vida]

Yack-atan 😂😂😂

[@Inucroft]

TLDR: no, but it will be a stepping stone towards it if done right *stares at the UK*

[@jhonbrand2050]

Why?

[@danielcorona7532]

México is the #11 largest economy in the world

[@eal7489]

Well actually the prices for an economic ride on this train are just barely higher than the price of travelling by bus through all Yucatan peninsula. So in my opinion prices are ok in relation to the quality of service provided.

[@daniescc9622]

Im from the south of Mexico, the president promised this would be a civil sustainable electric fueled train to kickstart the economy and provide a cheap eficient way to communicate the Yucatán Peninsula, however it turned out to be a military controlled oil fueled train that ramed through the mayan jungle, forcibly displaced indigenous comunities and destroyed the fragile cenotes and mayan aquifers from which the entire peninsula get it’s water from, yes maybe in 10 years we’ll get to see if it made sense economically speaking, and the south do needs an economic revival, however we can’t keep destroying our jungles and forests in the name of “progress”

[@AnotherConscript]

Viva Mexico! Our industry is finally getting somewhere

[@9-cito]

Can Mexico’s New Mega Train Solve its Regional Inequality? May be not, but is going to help a lot, and a lot means A LOT..

[@Shaun-Vargas]

I loved when you said Chiapas (chipyas) and Guerrero(Gahero) and Yucatan (Yuckytan) LOL me encantó!!!

[@seansmith3058]

Beautiful Chippy-Ass, home of the Zedapatistas.

[@carlosgonzalez-jj9qu]

Warning: Dear international visitor, it’s highly suggested not boarding, the now famous, 'Tren Maya' while travelling Yucatan Peninsula, it’s infraestructure has not proved being safe. Do it at your own risk.

[@gonzamateo9971]

i would advide to you hearing the names of the states in the original language in google traductor....this pronunciation could be more close to reality than the videos ones.

[@floppa9415]

I hope since the rails are now in place that they will be able to offer cheap monthly or yearly tickets for local commuters.

[@pottertheavenger1363]

The prices for the locals will be cheap.

[@MisterJIFF]

Not gonna happen

[@MisterJIFF]

​@@pottertheavenger1363not happening

[@unpapelcascaron7463]

they are tho@@MisterJIFF

[@luislicona386]

I think they will offer a separate service for locals

[@DanielGalimidi]

This video is a master class on how NOT to pronounce any of the Mexican states' names. The pronunciation of Guerrero was particularly egregious, seeing how it's a common Spanish word that means "Warrior", you don't have the excuse of saying "it's a word of native origin, there's no consensus on its pronunciation".

[@ericktellez7632]

The double rr is still extremely difficult for non romance speakers to be fair

[@71.218-westshed]

Yucatan was also pronounced weird. That's a Spanish place name that you'll commonly hear in the English world and they still got it wrong.

[@DanielGalimidi]

@@ericktellez7632 No, it's not. It's just a hard R.

[@Aoderic]

My toes curled when he said Chia-pas, rather than Chi-apas

[@linusfotograf]

@@Aoderic He said it two ways. The first try was Chippi-ass

[@alxboca]

As a Mexican, I am endlessly proud of what this president has wrought for the country. This is one of his most important projects and represents a huge undertaking as well as a watershed moment for the region and the necessary revitalization of a national rail transportation network. It is a big gamble to be sure, but AMLO is to be praised for having the political will and courage to finally DO SOMETHING meaningful and uplifting for Mexico. I would agree with your assessment that we would see the project bear fruit in a decade or so, however, the positive domino effect is already being felt in the form of reborn support for a national passenger rail network, of which another portion has already begun partial operations as well: the interurban train line running from Mexico City to neighboring Toluca. Regardless of the stance one takes while considering all the issues involved in the development of such projects, the fact remains that the world favors and rewards those who will adapt and keep pace with global progress. All things considered, I would posit that the current Mexican administration has done a commendable job of navigating the country's historically tumultuous politics and the overwhelming support of the Mexican people for their policies speaks volumes. Time will tell if their decisions and projects will really benefit the population and bring about the progress and prosperity the people so desperately need and deserve. Here's hoping.

[@edgarrocha2612]

As a Mexican we know that we Can reforest again and again, that is not a problem, but what Europe and USA does they destroy countries economies cultures and innocent people, and they never regret that, that’s my humble opinion. #PLANC #VIVA🇲🇽 #VIVAAMLO

[@JS-jh4cy]

Yes the train can move the army in to stabilize the southern regions and bring stability for the town's, cities and small businesses that rely on tourism for economy

[@cheshirekoala9457]

"Stability" brought by the army. I'd rather call it represion.

[@nico-9849]

I am mexican and let me tell you, the train is not a good idea because of the fragile soil and underground caves, it is also deforesting a lot of the mayan jungle and a single project is not going to solve it. and actually many people think its a stupid idea and i know a lot of people from merida and they say nobody there likes it or is going to use it

[@Brown95P]

This project certainly looks favorable enough as there seems to be enough demand for a fast-track between the regions and the area is large enough to justify both railways, but I just hope they eventually tune down those ticket prices on the lower end, because paying almost 70 bucks for an economy ticket *_even when subsidized_* is just way too much of an ask even by first-world standards -- let alone by average mexican ones -- and so most of that demand is just never gonna be met, hampering most of the potential revenue such a promising infrastructure would bring and possibly even leading to a vicious cycle where the prices increase further as the demand gets lower just to stay functional.

[@AntonioSerranoMx91]

Estudiantes: $30 pesos. General Nacional: $60 pesos. General Extranjero: $80 pesos. Menores de 5 años, Mayores de 65, Mujeres embarazadas y Personas con Discapacidad: Gratis. Esas son las tarifas propuestas. Supongo las aplicarán una vez termine al 100% la obra civil. RN: 1 USD= 16.88 MXN

[@djoldschool]

Some obvious similarities with the UKs HS2 but I’ll bet it’s finished quicker and at a lower cost per capita..

[@mx338]

This now exisiting infrastructure can also be easily extended with branch lines, to serve locals and industry of the region better, and you can also just esily run more affordable services for locals in addition to those aimed towards tourists. Overall this really does seem like a great step for the people of the region, the only concern now may be the resulting overtourism.

[@ingrafaelcobas]

he omitted in his video, he did not mentioned it , that is actually the idea, Mayan train will be connected to the transoceanic train which competes with panama canal, and will be a new line form the pacific all the way to the border with Guatemala, plus the line to connect with the new oil refinery

[@victorcardenas9780]

Mayority People of México support the government for this cause. 100% #4T.

[@Luisrrr508]

“Activist groups “ lol those groups are rich actors , investors supposedly claiming they saving the jungle where tf were they when Xcaret and other companies ruined the Yucatán peninsula

[@mischievousjr.9299]

Exactly, Coca Cola as of RIGHT NOW is going around Chiapas and hoarding all the fresh water, Coca Cola is using up more freshwater than what is available for local people.

[@Luisrrr508]

@@mischievousjr.9299yes exactly!!

[@markmcgrillen1055]

Nobody else found it a bit offensive that the first things mentioned to do with trains in Mexico is to transport migrants to the US?

[@jirt36]

2:30 Mentira acabo de subirme y el precio es diferente, estan a 730 Pesos, cono 42 USD

[@nancypatino5029]

What about this . Why you guys don’t worry what happens in Mexico 🇲🇽. I’m talking to the negative comments here . I glad they invest in the maya train , the new airports etc. . That means Mexico is advancing and growing.

[@MrBCWalker01]

The only reason this line exists is because there's a massive amount of luxury real estate being developed across the region.

[@r824077]

Not in all of the region ..., only in Cancún ans Tulum ....

[@matutez1864]

That’s only in Merida and Tulum. You visit Campeche it’s a different story.

[@vanneli]

I am writing this before I watch the video. This is NOT a MEGA project. If it was, the train would have a speed avove 30 MPH. That's right, the train from 1888 in Back to the Future III was faster than this one.

[@khlaps]

I'm sure this will help overall, but likely increase wealth inequality.

[@the0ne809]

Jobs from tourism don't make a lot. Sure, more jobs but most of the money will go to hotel chains.

[@SquallLeonhartlo]

Pronunciation guide: Chee Ah Pas - Chiapas Tah Bah S Co - Tabasco Cam Peh Che - Campeche You Cah tAhn - Yucatan Kin Tah Nah Roo - Quintana Roo Geh Reh R Ro - Guerrero Seh Noh Tehs - Cenotes

[@raggazo23]

México never saw a project of this magnitude since 100 years ago in the Porfiriato era. God bless AMLO for governing Mexico with his hearth

[@liamwilcox641]

I think that this will be a successful project, like what happened in China. This will make people migrating from rural areas into cities easier, and allow economic growth to reach the countryside. I also don't think it's a bad thing that some of it is oriented towards wealthy tourists if the economy in the region is already dominated by tourism. Having been to Cancun once already, I would definitely use this train to visit other cities if I were to visit again.

[@TheElizondo88]

I am not a fan of AMLO nor Morena, but I'll admit that the Tren Maya is not a bad project. However it will not solve any form of regional inequality, this is a tourist train that mostly runs through the riches states per capita in Mexico (Campeche, Yucatan, and Quitnata Roo)... When people refer to the poor south, they usually mean Chiapas (where the train barely passes by), Oaxaca, Guerrero and Michoacan; not the Yucatan Peninsula.

[@RaGodEgypt]

Chipiiiias hahaha. 1:21

[@wile123456]

6:25 that's an irrelevant survey. The only people asked should be the people living in the effected region, especially indigenous people I love trains and good infastructure, but sad to see this won't help anyone living there with overpriced tickets. It's just colonialism

[@pottertheavenger1363]

So they should be left to squalor in the jungle? The locals were asked, and they will have preferential prices.

[@christopheralejandromezapa8934]

sure

[@enriquevaldivia2458]

los precios son mucho más baratos para los locales, mucho más

[@Cruck10]

It's a great project. It has kickstarted the return of passenger trains in all of Mexico.

[@kicapanmanis1060]

Good project. Glad it's partially rolled out. Hopefully it will expand more.

[@christopheralejandromezapa8934]

No, pls no.

[@ingrafaelcobas]

@@christopheralejandromezapa8934 , yes, and is brutally helpful for our region, connection with tren interoceanic will be finished this year, finally us in the south have infrastructure

[@sopek1427]

8.5 to 24 billion is triple of its original budget

[@PolarBear543]

This is probably one of your worst videos ive seen, is sounds like your reading out the announcement page for the project while parroting the most surface level criticisms of the project without any actual research, interesting points or analysis.

[@jardinero119]

Lmao $68. The government actually expects 40,000 riders a day with those prices.

[@diegom7760]

$68 to travel over 5 states seems pretty fair to me to be honest, and it's not your average train, some will have restaurant service and others even will have a bed if you plan on taking a nap!😊

[@jardinero119]

@@diegom7760 your thinking about it in American terms. That’s 1,222 pesos, that’s alot!. The point of the tren maya if for tourism, it’s not for your average Mexican citizen. Most of the land the train goes through is dense jungle, it’s not going to be a commuter train.

[@diegom7760]

@@jardinero119 you are wrong hermano, there are also options to travel small distances for 80 100 pesos, and on top of that discounts for locals and elderly people, that options is available in the standar train, the one currently running now at the moment!

[@owlman_]

Does TLDR stand for Too Languagey Didn't Research? I know it's supposed to be a cutesy part of English "charm" to not respect foreign pronunciations, but holy beans on toast. From the President's name to "Yucatán," the only "Mexican" word pronounced correctly was "Maya." Which, if it weren't for the apocalyptic meme in 2012, you'd probably pronounce it as "mei-CHA." It's not like these are obscure words never heard in history. They're names spoken in English-speaking videos aimed at tourists here on free KZbin. Much cheaper than any Brilliant subscription. I hope one of your 2024 resolutions is to spend 5 minutes each video reviewing basic things like name pronunciations. It would help with the illusion that this is a real news show. All the best.

[@tattiesconebuttie]

💯💯💯

[@sahrahras]

plenty of news shows mess up names? don't really see how this is a big issue bc everyone knows whats theyre talking about anyways feels petty

[@nosferatuoddz7974]

Damn you're salty

[@theotheronethere4391]

Mexico's government may have it issues, but there is one thing that it seems to excel in, extracting tourism dollars. For those who don't know, Cancun is a completely planned city with 1 goal in mind, getting tourism dollars. The Mexican government put its greatest minds, resources and effort to planning the perfect tourism trap. It was the late 60s but the government used the best supercomputers available (to simulate things such as hurricane frequency), borrowed plans from the Bank of Mexico to track shark population movements (so that any resort will be in a relatively sharkless location) and of course the best minds that they had (Antonio Enríquez Savignac, the head of the project was a Harvard grad and will go on to lead the UN World Tourism Organization). Tren Maya seems to be in a similar vein. It does make a lot of sense from the "extract tourism dollar" standpoint. The fact that those are only projects that the Mexican government can truly but its full effort in is interesting....

[@P71ScrewHead]

True..lol Mexico just gave tourists what they wanted tho, a nice place to vacation to..

[@rafapacheco3781]

I don't think so, the Mayan train and all the current railway projects were sold to the public as tourist trains but in reality they are designed to be cargo trains, tourism is secondary, what is really intended is to make the most of Mexico's position in the world; a country that connects with the east and the west by sea, which connects the US with the rest of Latin America, with good relations with both China and Russia as well as with Germany and the European Union, with historical relations with countries such as Japan, the Philippines and active countries Africans, and a growing relationship with South Korea and Taiwan without the need to enter into political conflicts that hinder relations with their rivals,

[@panchopantera7321]

As mexican, I can tell you that AmLO is a great president who really cares about the poor people

[@mrfacerock8806]

Hey. I usually enjoy your content but I think that this one glances over some pretty important issues regarding Mexico's treatment of their indigenous population. There's a great deal of opposition to this project amongst the local communities, and the construction itself has been overseen by the army, which has long been used to suppress indigenous people. I get that you put out a lot of news, but I feel like this aspect is something really important to talk about in more detail. "Growth" might be good, but good for whom? If anyone fancies a deep dive on this project, with someone who's got close ties to the area, I'd reccommend the "Tren Maya" episode of the Well There's Your Problem podcast.

[@hipolitolopez3775]

The way you pronounced Chiapas as "Cheapy-ass" hahahahah

[@RafaSarriaBustamante]

Thank you for covering more issues from Latinoamerica and their effect on global politics and industry. But please do some research to at least attempt to use the correct pronunciation of these world famous cities and regions. Yucatan, Chiapas, Chichén Itzá, Uxmal: these are not difficult to say correctly with minimal effort or a simple google search. I was trying to concentrate on the information in the piece but is was so distracting and for some downright offensive to hear the mangling of these names. But that being said, this was still well written and presented.

[@anthonyjackson7336]

Latin AMerica has no global influence. Only how close America is to invading some latin country, that it. No one cares about that region

[@jaquinhamdan3943]

Theneconomy in the south growing first time in decades...fact. it worked.

[@Michael-pd6bc]

This was genius by AMLO it sucks it won’t give instant results, but that’s what we need, smart presidents that think abt the future

[@geoorod8749]

MEXICO HAS STATES, NOT REGIONS....THE REAL NAME IS UNITED MEXICAN STATES, PART OF NORTH AMERICA ,JUST LIKE THE U.S.

[@luxmundiofficial]

It’s Chi-a-pas not Chippy-as 😭

[@RubenAlbertoMorenoZavala]

Consultation? THERE WAS NEVER A CONSULTATION ABOUT THE MAYA TRAIN!!!!!!!!!

[@CesarAnton]

The Maya train it's the worse version of a good idea. It could have been a great project but corruption and ignorance ruined it. How could locals use the train to "go to work" if the ticket costs around usd$60 per ride? The minimum wage is about usd$15 usd per day. usd$120 for a round trip per day is more than most people pay for rent per month. $120 is about what I pay per month for NYC subway, one of the most expensive in the world. Few Mexicans could afford to use it on a regular basis however all Mexicans will be paying to subsidize it's operation. It's more than twice as expensive per km when compared to Barcelona's high speed train, but the Maya train goes less than half the speed. 150kmh (max, 120kmh in practice) compared to 350khm (max, 300khm in practice).

[@christopheralejandromezapa8934]

true

[@matutez1864]

We don’t fucking café Barcelona!! Fuck Spain!!

[@pepsdeps]

The project being a railroad itself is not the issue, it's mostly its implementation. In Mexico it is perceived by many to be purposefully destroying vast areas of forest and rushed through archeological remains, adding to its environmental impact. Besides, the route the train takes, while originally more thought out in regards to cenotes and ground structural integrity, it was forced to change at the request of big hotel groups near Cancún and Tulum. Which leads me to the last point that touristic development isn't necessarily what's needed to spark "development" in the area, it already is one of the most widely known touristic destinations accross the world. The train was made with mostly tourists in mind, and it is also said that the chosen route passes by and directly benefits properties directly owned by AMLO in his home state of Tabasco. It might cause some additional economic growth, but at what cost?

[@itzelouise8714]

Which properties owned by Amlo? Palenque is an archeological center very well known, whatever you are suggesting is ridiculous 😅

[@pepsdeps]

@@itzelouise8714 I had originally thought that the properties owned by AMLO were in his home state of Tabasco (which I mentioned in the original comment), which makes you mentioning Palenque interesting. Because after researching, his rancho called "La Chingada" is indeed located in Palenque, Chiapas (which is also a town, as well as the archeological site), and reportedly located quite close to the destined station site. Why did you mention Palenque if I didn't originally mention it in my comment?

[@ericktellez7632]

“China discovers cure against cancer. But at what cost?!” Thats you peddling US state propaganda

[@chrisw8011]

Palenque is a totally rational place for the train to stop

[@pepsdeps]

@@chrisw8011 Indeed it is, it's a touristic destination. But there wasn't a train there originally, the president does benefit from this plan that he himself proposed.