Maya Train is an unprecedented feat in the world: president; progress on section 2 presented

This is an automated translation of the original press release published in Spanish.

By the Presidency of Mexico

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador confirmed that the construction of the Maya Train is a feat of the Government of the Fourth Transformation that is carried out with the support of the inhabitants of the southeast of the country, companies and workers from various unions.

“We are going to do the feat, which has not been done anywhere in the world, of finishing a train in five years. Nowhere in the world have they built 1,554 kilometers and half of them are double electrified roads from Mérida, Cancún, Tulum, Chetumal; electric. If we are going to achieve this, it is because many Mexicans are participating and also some foreigners who help, but mainly Mexicans,” he emphasized.

Heading the morning press conference and the weekly progress report on this strategic project, the President said that “the main thing is the support of the people, of rural residents, community members, ejidatarios, settlers, transporters. Imagine what it has meant for those who have dump trucks, workers, they have been essential. The archaeologists, the real environmentalists ... it is the effort, the participation of all.”

This day, the report corresponded to section 2, which goes from Escárcega in Campeche to Calkiní on the border with Yucatán.

The general director of the National Fund for the Promotion of Tourism, Javier May Rodríguez, explained that it consists of 234 kilometers and passes through six municipalities and 31 towns. It will have two stations: Edzná and Campeche, as well as three stops: Carrillo Puerto, Tenabo and Hecelchakán. In addition, a garage is being built in Campeche and a maintenance base in Edzná.

Complementary works include 177 induced works, 447 cross drainage works, 10 viaducts and 149 vehicular, pedestrian and wildlife bridges; In total there will be 783 works.

To date, the following are registered in total inputs: 572,790 tons of ballast, 464,315 pieces of sleepers and 29,392 tons of rail.

Within section 2, 18.76 kilometers of railway bypasses are being built, which will allow the train to pass without interrupting activities in the state capital. On this stretch will be the Campeche station, five viaducts, 42 vehicular, pedestrian and wildlife crossings, in addition to 34 induced works.

As part of the work there are 50 new homes and 140 social works in addition to the Well-being Programs.

Regarding these, the Secretary of Welfare, Ariadna Montiel Reyes, pointed out that there are a total of 259,688 beneficiaries and rights-holders with an annual social investment of 7.373 billion pesos.

In Campeche, he said, 13 programs are implemented and the Social Infrastructure Fund with an investment of 1.139 billion pesos

More than 423,000 jobs have been generated in the area; 97 percent of the workers are from the southeast and 16 technicians from other countries train young people for the operation and maintenance of construction and road maintenance equipment, reported the general director of Grupo Carso, Antonio Gómez García. Section 2 is the responsibility of Carso Infraestructura y Construcción.

Maite Ramos Gómez, director of Alstom México, explained that for section 2, 219 cars are being built in Ciudad Sahagún, in Hidalgo. The content is 72 percent national; They will be state-of-the-art both in diesel and dual mode, that is, diesel and electric.

The construction of the garage has generated more than 90 direct jobs and more than 390 indirect ones.

In section 2, the prospecting and archaeological excavation works were fully completed, informed the general director of the National Institute of Anthropology and History, Diego Prieto Hernández. As of January 23, the following were recorded and preserved:

• 433 immovable assets
• 8 areas of exceptional value
• 171 movable assets
• 237,000266 potsherds analyzed
• 281 burials
• 52 associated natural traits

Throughout the 235 kilometers, discoveries have been made, including ceramic and bone objects, as well as architectural elements. Most of them correspond to the Late Classic period (600-800 AD) The Program for the Improvement of Archaeological Zones (Promeza) is applied in Edzná, where one of the stations will be, and in Xcalumkín, a little-known archaeological zone that can be visited through the Calkiní station.

The Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources, María Luisa Albores González, announced that 64,331 plants have been rescued, as well as 2,122 species.

He announced that in Campeche there will be two natural reserves that will total one and a half million hectares, which will represent the second largest natural protected area after the Amazon.

The National Defense Secretariat, headed by Secretary Luis Cresencio Sandoval González, in responsible for physical and operational security on section 2. A total of 375 elements will be deployed.

Sedena is also participating in the construction of the Edzná hotel on 12.5 hectares; it will be ready on November 30 of this year, said the head of the Operations Coordination Center (CCO) of the Mayan Train, Blas Andrés Núñez Jordán.

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