The Mexican National Fund for Tourism Development (Fonatur) has confirmed that the Tren Maya rail project will be linked to the North-South Isthmus of Tehuantepec (CIIT) corridor. The CIIT project aims to create a railway link between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as an alternative to the congested Panama Canal and consists of three line sections connecting different regions. The Tren Maya project is divided into seven sections and will run from Palenque to Escárcega and then in a loop around the Yucatán Peninsula, serving numerous tourist sites. The 690 km section from Mérida via Cancún to Chetumal Airport will be electrified. In addition, a transfer station will be built in Palenque in 2024 to allow wagon transfer between the two projects. The first Tren Maya section is scheduled to open in December 2023.
