Cutting through the rainforest: Mexico's Maya Train

The Maya Train, or Tren Maya, is Mexico's leftist President Andreas Manuel Lopez Obrador's showcase megaproject. Set to boast over 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) of tracks once it is completed, the line is due to connect popular tourist sites on Mexico's Caribbean coast with ancient Maya sites in the southern Yucatan Peninsula.

Three and a half years after construction began, the first third of the line opened on December 15. Running nearly 500 kilometers, it connects San Francisco de Campeche in the Gulf of Mexico with the popular beach resort of Cancun. The remaining two-thirds of the ambitious project will be completed by February 2024. In total, the line will feature 34 stations across five states.

Located about halfway along the newly inaugurated tranche of the line, the Temple of Kukulcan dominates the archaeological site of Chichen Itza in Yucatan State. About 2 million tourists make their way each year already. The hope is that their numbers will be boosted by the new train.

The Mexican president claims his megaproject is vital to national interest and will bring economic and social development to the country's southeast region. But Mexico's southern coast, with its countless beach resorts, already hosts millions of tourists each year, and the real estate industry is booming.

Environmentalists have sounded the alarm. They say clearing the forest to make way for the railway is catastrophic for spider monkeys (above), jaguars, red-and-green macaws, and other species in the region.

Cenotes are natural freshwater sinkholes in collapsed limestone caves. UNESCO lists over 2,000 of them as World Heritage Sites. They are at risk from the train line, whose construction could pollute the water and put the endemic plant and animal species at risk. Some could become extinct.

Indigenous groups and human rights campaigners have protested against the train line for years. They say the building went ahead with no consideration for people living in the zones that had to be cleared. People have not only been robbed of their livelihoods but also exploited on construction sites.

The village of Vida y Esperanza (Life and Hope) is one of many affected by the railway project. Maya communities have taken the fight to court, arguing that their rights to a safe and clean environment and drinking water are being violated. They also criticize the fact that they were not consulted before construction began. The UN has expressed concern, too.

As lawsuits against the Maya Train began piling up, the president declared that the project was a matter of national security and put the army in charge of protecting the train line. It has been announced that 2,800 National Guard soldiers will be permanently deployed to protect the Maya Train.

Whether or not the Maya Train brings economic development to underdeveloped regions in Mexico, one thing is sure: The project is costly. Construction costs have already tripled to €27 billion ($29.4 billion). This does not cover the incalculable price the environment and all those who depend upon it will pay.