USMCA trilateral Commission to open an investigation into Mexico’s multibillion-dollar Maya Train Project

The trilateral Commission for Environmental Cooperation established by the U.S., Mexico and Canada has recommended opening an investigation into Mexico’s multibillion-dollar tourist train project on the Yucatán peninsula.

Environmentalists filed a complaint saying the Maya Train project threatens jungles and limestone caves containing precious fresh water. The caves have also yielded some of the oldest human remains found in North America.

The train is currently being rushed to completion. It is the pet project of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who wants it finished before he leaves office in September 2024.

The trilateral commission was established by the governments of Mexico, the United States and Canada in 1994, and operates under the USMCA free trade agreement.

It has the power to produce fact-finding reports that could be used in trade disputes. It will do so if two of the three countries agree; the U.S. government has always voted to go ahead with such investigations.

The USMCA trade pact requires member countries to enforce their environmental laws, and they could face tariffs or other sanctions if they don’t.

The commission said in a statement late Tuesday that the investigation will look into “the environmental impact assessment procedures for the Maya Train project, including relevant studies and alleged fragmentation of the environmental impact studies, as well as the change in land use authorization.”

The 950-mile (1,500-kilometer) Maya Train line is meant to run in a rough loop around the Yucatán Peninsula, connecting beach resorts and archaeological sites.

Originally projected to cost around $8 billion, the train line now appears likely to rise to $15 billion, and possibly as much as $20 billion. Because no real feasibility studies were done, it is not clear whether the train will draw enough tourists or recoup its costs.

While some stretches of the train line run over existing tracks or alongside existing roads, other parts are being cut through the jungle, including a controversial stretch that cuts a 68-mile (110-kilometer) swath between the resorts of Cancún and Tulúm.

TYT Newsroom