El Tren del Istmo

Greetings, Friends. For those interested in global trade and logistics, there is quite a bit of discussion about the possibility that the Tren Maya won't just be a tourist attraction. Below are a couple of articles and a TikTok video. (I normally stay far away from TikTok but the gentleman has not posted this particular video to YouTube yet.) In the video, he posits that the new airport in Tulum is going to be able to accommodate far more than just tourists.

Mexico revives century-old railway in $2.8bn bid to rival Panama Canal -- Financial Times

The Train Maya: Mexico's ambitious new tourism megaproject -- BBC

It's not just an airport -- TikTok blogger

If you search for "tren maya alternative to the panama canal?" you will find that there is quite a bit of opposition to this massive project. There are environmental and cultural concerns galore.

With the Panama Canal literally drying up, this might just be a realistic alternative. Personally, it was very difficult to believe that tourism dollars would be able to come close to paying for such an investment. However, if tens of billions of dollars of goods will be making the trip from Salina Cruz on the Pacific to various ports on the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, then the project will become a huge boon to the Mexican economy. What would have become AMLO's Folly will become AMLO's Triumph.

Stay tuned for further developments.

The Tren del Istmo aka Tren Interoceánico isn't the same as the Tren Maya. They are separate projects. One is more touristic and the other is more commercial. The Tren del Istmo is Mexico's alternative to the Canal de Panamá without blowing holes through mountains so that ships can pass through. It makes more sense to be able to receive larger ships and transport their cargo across the isthmus between the Golfo de México and the Océano Pacífico via railway.

https://www.radioformula.com.mx/economia/2023/12/22/guia-del-tren-del-istmo-rutas-estaciones-costo-de-boletos-todo-lo-que-debes-saber-794980.html