Maya Train Passengers Increase 74% from May 2024 to 2025

This article by Néstor Jiménez and Emir Olivares appeared in the July 16, 2025 edition of La Jornada, Mexico’s premier leftist daily newspaper.

Mexico City. Since the start of operations and as of yesterday, July 15, 1,359,317 passengers have been transported on the Mayan Train, with 7,290 trips made. This represents a 19 percent monthly growth, with a surge during peak seasons, and a 74 percent increase by 2025 compared to last year, the federal government reported.

As part of a report on the growth of this mode of transportation, as well as projects such as the Grupo Mundo Maya hotels, Mexicana de Aviación, the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA), and the Tulum International Airport, President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo stated that “contrary to what they say, it’s not working, quite the opposite, there are more passengers every day.”

Oscar David Lozano, general director of the Maya Train, emphasized that the strategic renovation of the last stations was completed on July 7, meaning all 34 stations are now fully operational.

At the morning press conference at the National Palace, he explained that the train stations offer intermodal transportation services to urban areas, with prices ranging from 35 to 55 pesos. They also offer car rental services, convenience stores, restaurants, and handicraft sales, among other services.

He emphasized that last April, during Holy Week, a record number of passengers was reported with 6,641, but that these numbers are expected to be surpassed this holiday season.

The three main routes have been from Mérida to Cancún, Cancún to Mérida, and Cancún to Playa del Carmen. He stated that the punctuality of the routes, as well as the cleanliness and customer service, have been recognized.

At the same time, he explained that, in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, they have been working on these packages since December of last year, seeking to solidify the strategy based on user needs.

As an example, he explained that there are packages ranging from 17,000 to 24,821 pesos for four- to six-day tours, with hotel and flights included from AIFA.

The development of the southeast has boomed in recent years, with the Mayan Train impacting economic indicators, with a 3.3 percent increase in the gross domestic product of the states through which the train passes, in addition to a growth in tourism and employment sources in the region, the federal official noted.

“The Mayan train project has been a fundamental element in the transformation of southeastern Mexico. Thanks to this infrastructure development, the region is emerging as a hub for development,” he added.

For his part, Adolfo Héctor Tonatiuh Velasco Bernal, general director of Grupo Mundo Maya, explained that this state-owned company has four-star hotels in archaeological sites such as Chichen Itzá, Tulum, Calakmul, Palenque, Uxmal, and Edzná.

The opening of the hotels has generated 986 direct jobs, most of whom are from those areas.

Meanwhile, ecotourism parks such as Nuevo Uxmal, Del Jaguar, La Plancha, and La Ceiba have welcomed more than one million visitors this year, for whom tourist packages have also been created.

In turn, Isidoro Pastor Román, director general of AIFA, indicated that the airport currently serves 38 domestic destinations, as well as 8 international destinations, and plans to reach 15 this year. AIFA has also transported 838,000 tons of merchandise since 2023.

After stating that expectations regarding passenger demand have been exceeded, he said that 13,507,427 passengers have been reported, as well as 3.6 million this year and 6.3 million in 2024.

Tulum Airport, inaugurated in December 2023, already has 30 daily operations to three domestic and five international destinations, and plans to expand to 15 more international destinations. More than 2 million passengers have been registered.

Meanwhile, Leobardo Ávila Bojórquez, CEO of Mexicana de Aviación, added that the airline is reporting “solid operational performance” and has seen 211,000 passengers so far in 2025, representing a 24 percent increase compared to 2024.

It currently has 14 routes, down from 18 in 2024, following an “analysis and restructuring,” which resulted in 60 percent greater operational effectiveness and reduced operating costs.

He announced that Mexicana will have a new fleet of Embraer 190/195 aircraft, allowing for greater passenger capacity at lower operating costs.

It will receive five new aircraft in 2025 and will progressively have 20 new aircraft by 2028. As part of its strategic projection, it expects to have 20 aircraft and 3.4 million passengers annually in three years, representing a 4.8 percent market share. It also expects to generate 2,100 direct jobs and 8,190 indirect jobs by that date.