4 tenders expected for Mexico's Maya train this year

Four of the seven contracts that are expected to be awarded to build the Maya rail service in southeast Mexico will be put out to tender this year, according to an official.

At a press conference on Sunday in Quintana Roo state, Rogelio Jiménez Pons, director of tourism promotion agency Fonatur and in charge of the project, said the contracts will be for the stretches linking the archeological site of Palenque in Chiapas state to Yucatán state capital Mérida.

The four stretches involve existing but unused track, so the work will consist of restoring infrastructure, local paper Reforma reported Jiménez as saying.

Authorities had previously said that only three tenders were scheduled for this year, and that the bidding rules were expected in the next few weeks.

The 1,525km rail line will be in Quintana Roo, Yucatán, Campeche, Tabasco and Chiapas states.

The second batch of tenders for the sections linking Mérida to Cancún, and Cancún to Escárcega are due to be launched next year.

An eighth contract will be to provide the rolling stock, and a ninth to operate the service.

The line is scheduled to begin operations in 2023, providing freight and passenger services for commuters and tourists.

Investment is estimated at 150bn pesos (US$7.7bn).