Mexico's Maya Train: On Track for Early Operation, Yet Lingering Questions Remain

The first section of Mexico's controversial Maya Train, a tourism project championed by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, is set to open today, years ahead of initial projections. The 298-mile segment between Cancún and Campeche is opening despite protests, court orders, and concerns about environmental damage. The government defends the project as a way to boost tourism and investment in an impoverished region, but critics argue it is also aimed at facilitating freight traffic. The cost of the project has risen from $7.5 billion to $30 billion, raising questions about its justification.