Mexico’s Maya Train pulls in ahead of schedule

by Padrino ⌂ @, Rosarito/Zihuatanejo, Friday, December 15, 2023, 10:02 (1059 days ago)

A recent article about the Maya Train:

Mexico’s Maya Train pulls in ahead of schedule but with a host of questions

For those unfamiliar with The Guardian, it is a long-standing UK newspaper that is decidedly left-of-center politically but refreshingly obsessed with getting the facts straight. In this article, they play up the social and cultural criticisms but acknowledge that the train is more than just a tourist attraction and the speed with which it has been built is nothing short of amazing. With absolutely no personal knowledge of civil engineering, the one point that has always plagued me is the geography.

"... there’s the risk of collapse and contamination given that the ground is mostly made of porous limestone, and structurally fragile. 'We’re talking about an underground that’s like a Swiss cheese,' said Hernández Siller. 'Putting trains of hundreds if not thousands of tons on top – it could collapse the caves underneath.'”

Mexico’s Maya Train pulls in ahead of schedule

by Yandosan, Friday, December 15, 2023, 10:41 (1059 days ago) @ Padrino
edited by Yandosan, Friday, December 15, 2023, 11:09

Those taxi drivers at the Cancun airport are some of the scammiest scammers I have encountered in Mexico. (Remember, these guys bully the daylights out of Uber drivers). I am very much looking forward to bypassing them next time I am down there as I exit the airport. "Sorry bro, don't need a taxi--I am takin the Peace Train." The environmentalists complain but they don't seem to be worried over the clogged up highways that are 75 meters across and full of carbon monoxide and dioxide fumes.

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Mexico’s Maya Train pulls in ahead of schedule

by ZihuaRob ⌂ @, Zihuatanejo, México, Friday, December 15, 2023, 11:04 (1059 days ago) @ Padrino

A recent article about the Maya Train:

Mexico’s Maya Train pulls in ahead of schedule but with a host of questions

For those unfamiliar with The Guardian, it is a long-standing UK newspaper that is decidedly left-of-center politically but refreshingly obsessed with getting the facts straight. In this article, they play up the social and cultural criticisms but acknowledge that the train is more than just a tourist attraction and the speed with which it has been built is nothing short of amazing. With absolutely no personal knowledge of civil engineering, the one point that has always plagued me is the geography.

"... there’s the risk of collapse and contamination given that the ground is mostly made of porous limestone, and structurally fragile. 'We’re talking about an underground that’s like a Swiss cheese,' said Hernández Siller. 'Putting trains of hundreds if not thousands of tons on top – it could collapse the caves underneath.'”

The Yucatán peninsula is geologically very similar to Florida, and looks what they've done there.

Mexico’s Maya Train pulls in ahead of schedule

by Padrino ⌂ @, Rosarito/Zihuatanejo, Saturday, December 16, 2023, 11:12 (1058 days ago) @ ZihuaRob

Another article from a reputable source:

Portion of Tren Maya is inaugurated

This article reports the expected cost of the passenger tickets. Ain't no way that the tourist revenue will come close to paying for the train. Let's hope the freight revenue will be substantial.