A Billion Dollar Project for Tourism – El Tren Maya
“El Chepe” is the short form for Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacífico (railway from Chihuahua to the Pacific) and it traverses a labyrinth of canyons and gorges that is four times the size of the Grand Canyon. The region is called Barrancas del Cobre or the Copper Canyon. Barrancas del Cobre has been protected as a national park since 2010 and “El Chepe Regional” has been transporting passengers three times a week from the metropolis of Chihuahua in northern Mexico to Los Mochis on the Pacific Coast for over 50 years. The route is single-track, not electrified and is considered one of the most spectacular rail routes in the world. At a leisurely pace, the train initially begins its route through charming landscapes. After a few hours, it rattles over 37 bridges. The landscape is incredible – thorn bushes and cacti pass by your window, rolling hills and mountain ranges approach, a green river flows through a ravine, red-brown, steep rock walls shoot up from forested slopes. Since 2019 there is also the “El Chepe Express” which is a more luxurious train offering gourmet meals and impeccable service.
Now “El Chepe” is facing competition
The new president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, or Amlo for short, announced a few weeks ago that construction of the Tren Maya should begin in December 2018. The investment of the project amounts to 1,500 billion MXN pesos (68 billion euros) and should be completed in 4 years. Involved in this billion-dollar project are the southeastern states of Mexico which make up the Mayan culture and where you can still visit the magical and centuries-old ruins – Tabasco, Campeche, Chiapas, Yucatán and Quintana Roo. The project is to be financed from public-private funds, partly from tourism taxes and partly from private initiatives. The Tren Maya is said to connect cities like Palenque and Bacalar, where you can get to by rental car or bus. With the construction of the Tren Maya, Amlo wants to create jobs and promote tourism in this very important region. The tourism sector is one of the most important foreign investment providers in Mexico and contributed to around 9% to the gross domestic product in 2017.
We are very excited to be able to offer you the first trips on the Tren Maya upon its completion.
You can already travel to the Yucatán peninsula with its breathtaking Mayan sites. Let yourself be inspired by our Viva Yucatan Car Rental Tour or by the spectacular Copper Canyon and the “El Chepe” Train tours.
Contact us, together we can plan your dream vacation through Mexico: info@buenos-dias-mexico.de
