The idea is good, at least on paper. The more than 900 miles of tracks for the Tren Maya (or Maya Train) are going to carry both electric and diesel trains around the Yucatán Peninsula, connecting tourist hotspots like Cancún to the ancient Maya temples of Palenque and Chichen Itza. 

The goal for this project is to bring tourism money to poorer towns across the peninsula, creating what President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) described as opportunities for the region. “It will bring education, health and housing actions to the communities where the train passes,” AMLO said in a press release last year. “It will bring infrastructure, culture, sports, internet connectivity and economic development.”

But, the planned routes could cause damage to the beautiful cenotes, the beautiful, natural water-filled caverns with an opening in the ceiling. You’ve probably seen images of people swimming around in these lake caves on travel websites. The train’s construction might also damage pre-Hispanic relics, and disrupt the habitat of Mexico's Jaguars that were important to the Maya empire and were worshiped as deities for thousands of years. 

Will the cost be worth the benefit of the train system? Read the full story