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In December of last year, the anticipation for the long-awaited Maya Train finally ended when the first section was inaugurated on the 15th of the month.
Since then, though, it seems that it has been plagued with issues, which is not unusual when new projects are launched.
But with all of the Maya Train problems that have occurred, you’re probably wondering, can you depend on it to reach your destination when visiting?
A little information on the types of issues it’s facing, how often they occur, and what other options there are can help you make that decision.
The Maya Train
Once completed, the Maya Train will have a total of seven sections.
Currently, travelers have access to five of them, with the ability to travel all the way from Playa del Carmen to Palenque.
The question is, how far will you make it before a failure occurs, and then what do you do?
Let’s look at some of the issues passengers have had to deal with.
Issues, Issues, And More Issues
According to reports, the Maya Train has faced more problems than have been reported since it was inaugurated in December.
Issues are bound to pop up in the early days of any new project, but there have been more incidents with the Maya Train recently than when it first began operating.
Just between February 19 and March 25, a total of 29 issues occurred, which adds up to about one incident every 30 hours.
Before that, 22 incidents were recorded, for a total of 51 leading up to March 25th. There is little information on what those incidents were though.
The Maya Train Inauguration
The first section of the Maya Train to be inaugurated on December 15th was the Campeche to Cancun route, with a stop in the charming town of Merida along the way.
The first official trip took place the next day and went off without a hitch, and tickets immediately sold out.
The stop in Merida, departing from Cancun, became one of the most popular, and they even added more departures.
Problems From Early On
The next section to begin operating was the Cancun to Palenque route, on January 1st, but just days before it was to launch, the problems began.
The first section was shut down from December 28-31, with no real explanation as to why.
Officials at the time only said that it was related to the pre-opening of the new section and that travelers who had tickets for those days would need to seek refunds.
Tourists Left Stranded
Since the beginning of the year, there have been multiple incidents involving stranded passengers.
In January passengers were left stranded after their first train was canceled, and then once their train arrived, broke down four hours into the trip.
Then in March, passengers were again stranded for four hours, this time in Valladolid.
More Successes Than Failures
While all of the reporting on the Maya Train is about its failures, you have to consider the fact that there have been many more successful trips.
By the end of February, the train had already transported nearly 70,000 passengers.
Most of them made it to their destinations without any issues.
To Take The Train Or Not To Take The Train
Despite the many issues the train has had, it’s very unlikely that you’ll be left stranded, but until the issues are worked out, it is a possibility.
Rather than avoid the amazing experience that a ride on the Maya Train can be, though, you may just want to have a backup plan.
Try a shorter trip to Valladolid or Playa del Carmen.
This way, if you do get stranded, you’ll be able to find alternate transportation back to Cancun.
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