Will the Tren Maya be an alternative to the Panama Canal?

by Padrino ⌂ @, Rosarito/Zihuatanejo, Thursday, January 11, 2024, 12:52 (1032 days ago)

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.

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El Tren del Istmo

by ZihuaRob ⌂ @, Zihuatanejo, México, Thursday, January 11, 2024, 13:06 (1032 days ago) @ Padrino

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

Will the Tren Maya be an alternative to the Panama Canal?

by Yandosan, Thursday, January 11, 2024, 16:24 (1032 days ago) @ Padrino
edited by Yandosan, Thursday, January 11, 2024, 16:33

Nicaragua was also working on a canal to link the oceans. No idea what happened to that plan.
A man, a plan, a canal, Nicaragua.

Will the Tren Maya be an alternative to the Panama Canal?

by Casa Juan @, Thursday, January 11, 2024, 16:35 (1032 days ago) @ Yandosan

Nicaragua has had that idea for more than 50 yrs. At the turn of this century, the Chinese were going to fund it, now unlikely given their own real estate mess.

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Will the Tren Maya be an alternative to the Panama Canal?

by mosesk @, Ojai, CA, USA, Thursday, January 11, 2024, 18:53 (1032 days ago) @ Casa Juan

There is similar talk here in Thailand of building a 'land bridge' between Chumphon on the Gulf of Thailand to Ranong on the Andaman Sea:
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/general/2665401

The 'developing world' is developing...

Will the Tren Maya be an alternative to the Panama Canal?

by Mundo Bravo, Friday, January 12, 2024, 10:10 (1031 days ago) @ mosesk

The same forces that have been closing the Panama Canal will open the northwest passage.