November 13, 2023
News

First Section of Mayan Train to Open Dec. 15

Written by Robert Preston, Associate Editor, International Railway Journal

(Photo Credit: Mexican Government)

Track-laying on the 145-mile Section 2 from Escárcega to Calkiní is now 100% complete.

Mayan Train Director General Óscar David Lozano Águila has announced that the first section of the new line construction project in Mexico will open Dec. 15.

Track-laying is now complete on Section 2 running for 145 miles from Escárcega to Calkiní in the state of Campeche. Work on the five viaducts on the 11.66-mile new alignment avoiding the center of the city of Campeche has also been finished.

Work is more than 80% complete on the five new stations on Section 2, located at Carillo Puerto-Champotón, Edzná, San Francisco Campeche to serve the city of Campeche, Tenabo and Hecelchakán. Fit-out work including the installation of lifts and escalators is due to be completed shortly.

The rolling stock maintenance facility at Hampolol is 64% complete, while the infrastructure maintenance base at Edzná will be ready for the start of operations next month.

A freight yard is under construction at Pomuch, which is expected to handle a wide variety of traffic including fuel, steel, cement, grain, perishable goods and new road vehicles.

Construction of Section 2 has generated more than 27,000 jobs to the benefit of the region’s population of 535,000 inhabitants. According to Antonio Gómez García, Director General of Civil Works contractor Grupo Carso, more than 5,900 workers are currently deployed to complete Section 2, together with 978 construction machines.

Alstom is supplying 42 X’trapolis trains comprising 219 cars for the Mayan Train project, while Spanish national operator Renfe has been responsible for training 50 engineers and 30 operations control staff.

Training under a six-month program designed for the project by Renfe began in January, combining two months of classroom instruction in Mexico City with practical training in Spain.

The first cohort of engineers completed their training in July, and at the end of August the second cohort arrived in Spain to undertake a week of training in Madrid before moving to Renfe’s training center in Málaga.

A further month of classroom training in Málaga is followed by three months of practical experience, first on simulators and then on Civia commuter EMUs around the Málaga area as well as high-speed trains operating to Madrid, Granada and Córdoba.

The final phase of engineer training will take place in Mexico in order to familiarize engineers with the new Alstom trains, Mayan Train infrastructure and operating regulations.

Having completed their training in Mexico City on Aug. 28, all 30 Mayan Train operating personnel traveled to Spain earlier this month to complete the program by the end of November.