As airfares get more expensive, travelers seek out other, less expensive ways to visit new places. Trains offer an affordable way for visitors to see a country, and Mexico will start launching 11 new train routes from 2023.
Travel by train has a long history in Mexico. The first rail line extended from Mexico City to Veracruz.
In 2023, the new Tren Maya railway will open. The rail line experienced plenty of controversy, including construction delays and environmental issues.
Tren Maya will traverse the Yucatan Peninsula. The route connects all of Mexico’s most popular vacation destinations.
This long passenger railway extends 1,800 km. The route begins in Palenque, Chiapas and turns northeast to Cancun.
A boon for travelers, the railway offers access to many ancient Mayan sites previously only accessible by car.
By 2050, Mexico plans to have 11 tourist train routes crisscrossing the country. These routes will include a 4,700 km Pacific train, a 2,250 km western route and a 2,000 km eastern route.
The El Chepe, Gulf, Bajio, Istmo and Oaxaca routes run less than 1,000 km. Travel analysts expect that these routes will usher in a new period of tourism for Mexico.
Currently, visitors to Mexico must take long bus rides or multiple flights to visit more than one state or destination. Travel agents hope that the expansion of Amtrak routes in Canada and the United States will increase interest in train travel among tourists.
High travel season in Mexico peaks at New Year’s Day. Early autumn and late spring offer idyllic weather for a train trip through Mexico.