The building of the Oxkutzcab former train station located on Calle 45 (between 52 and 54) of the city’s Centro served for several years as a Cultural Center, but the venue is now converted into a “white elephant” and refuge for drunks and drug addicts.
This situation generates discomfort among the families of the sector, because for a long time the place was a benchmark for the community, when the railway was at its peak.
Although the building has an extended space for families to gather for leisure activities, they prefer not to go to the site due to the presence of drunks, who often disrespect women, and locals even fear for the safety of their children.
Oxkutzcab residents have asked the authorities on several occasions to implement surveillance operations on the spot and to rehabilitate the place to make it useful and productive for the local society.
The facilities of the old building are already deteriorated and although it doesn’t look that bad from the outside, the truth is that the roof is falling apart, situation which led to its final closure.
From what used to be the former railroad station, only a few pieces of rails and tracks remain on site, which brings many memories to the inhabitants of the city.
They consider that the building should be rescued to make it look good again. A few years ago the place used to house sports activities, workshops and dance classes; the space also featured a gym.
Antigua estación del tren en Oxkutzcab (Photo: en-yucatan.com.mx)
According to Oxkutzcab residents, the authorities contemplated the repair of the building, but apparently the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) did not grant the corresponding permits.
Since then, they say, the place became a refuge for drunks, drug addicts and vandals, which generates problems of insecurity for the people of Oxkutzcab, so they prefer not to let their children go to the park next to the former train station, as they fear something could happen to them.
TYT Newsroom with information from yucatan.com.mx
