Extension of Tren Maya to Belize and Guatemala proposed as rail freight investment ramps up

MEXICO: President Claudia Sheinbaum has set out plans to extend Mexico’s 1 477 km Tren Maya network to Belize and Guatemala, adding approximately 300 km of new lines.

To be delivered in stages, the proposed expansion plans announced on January 29 follow discussions with President of Guatemala Bernardo Arévalo, and Belize’s Prime Minister John Briceño, who originally requested the extension.

The first phase would involve the construction of just over 7 km of tracks branching off the Tren Maya network west of Chetumal and crossing the Hondo River which borders Mexico and Belize.

The second phase would extend the railway through Belize, reaching Guatemala’s border east of Tikal, which is one of the region’s key tourist destinations.

The third phase would extend the network to Tikal and Flores in Guatemala.

Feasibility studies are yet to b…