| Work Detail |
The President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and the director general of Fondo Nacional de Fomento al Turismo (Fonatur), Javier May Rodríguez, officially welcomed the first train for Maya railway project at the workshop and depot in Cancún.
With the delivery of the first trains, “we continue to meet our commitments [for Tren Maya project] with works are underway for the southeast section of the project,” Fonatur director general said.
These first 4 cars will form the first of the 31 Xiinbal type of trains that Alstom will deliver to the project in different configurations, featuring large panoramic windows to allow passengers to enjoy scenic views.
The first cars departed Alstom’s manufacturing facility in Ciudad Sahagún, Hidalgo on July 3rd travelling 1,943 kilometres over five days through through ten states, until they reached Cancún. A team of experts has already started the meticulous unloading of the cars, after which they will assemble the cars to form the first train. Once assembled, the trains will undergo exhaustive testing to validate the functionality and safety of the different train components, prior to integration and testing with the rail infrastructure.
Each car is equipped with air conditioning, ergonomic and reclining seats, video surveillance systems and passenger information screens, with dedicated spaces for luggage storage. Passengers with reduced mobility will have full liberty of movement due to train’s flat floor.
The Xiinbal train has a capacity for 230 passengers.
The train is able to operate at a maximum speed of 160 km/h delivering an efficient means of transport and excellent passenger experience.
The train is equipped with advanced digital technologies such as an automatic train control system (ERTMS) to provide optimal efficiency and high levels of safety and security. Alstom will also deploy the HealthHub and TrainScanner digital solutions for condition-based and predictive maintenance, enabling continuous health and condition monitoring of different train components, signalling and infrastructure to guarantee the maximum reliability and availability of the trains, while optimising the lifecycle costs of each train.
In 2021, the consortium led by Alstom-Bombardier comprising Gami Ingeniería e Instalaciones and Construcciones Urales Procesos Industriales, was awarded a EUR 1.3 billion contract for Tren Maya. The contract includes the delivery of 42 X’trapolis trains (219 cars), full signalling system for the 1,500 km trackside and ECTS onboard installation as well as interlocking, traffic management and telecommunications systems. The consortium is also responsible for the construction of the maintenance workshops and garages.
According to Fonatur, the second train is already 50% completed and two more trains will be delivered in August, followed by other three more vehicles in September. By December, when the first sections will be inaugurated, 13 vehicles are expected to be handed over.
Alstom say that the delivery of the entire train fleet will be completed in the last quarter of 2024.
The train for Maya is a depiction of Mexico’s art culture, reflecting the varied colours and textures of the region’s art. The Tren Maya project stands out not only for the latest mobility technologies included in the project but also for its representation of the history and culture of Mexico through the three different train designs. The first configuration covers a flexible comfortable standard service set-up (Xiinbal), the Janal design is prioritising restaurant cars and P’atal is focused on long-distance sleeper configuration.
The Maya Tren project is estimated at USD 7.5 billion. It comprises a 1,564 km rail system, 944 km of which will be the new constructed connections and 620 km of existing lines which need rehabilitation and modernisation works. The entire system will be served by 59 stations and stops across 41 municipalities, 29 of which will be renovated allowing mixt services – passenger and freight traffic – 19 large stations will be located in municipalities that need to attract more passengers and freight volumes to rail transport, while 11 stations will allow a fast passenger and freight traffic flow.
The project is split into seven distinct sections including the 228 km Palenque – Escárcega route; the 235 km Escárcega – Calkiní; the 172 km Calkiní – Izamal; Izamal – Cancún (257 km), Cancún – Playa del Carmen in North Caribbean region (50 km) and Playa del Carmen – Tulum (60 km) in South Caribbean region; the 254 km Tulum – Bacalar and 287 km Bacalar – Escárcega sections.
For the second section linking Escárcega and Calkiní, in the state of Campeche, 156 km of tracks have been laid,297 drainage works, and the construction of a viaduct have been completed. This section also includes the construction of an 18-km railway bypass crossing along two viaducts which have been already completed. Along this section two stations, three bus stations and a maintenance workshop and depot are currently being constructed. |
