The Maya Train reports a ‘track-related incident.’ Was it another derailment?

The Maya Train reported another mishap Monday afternoon in Campeche, described only vaguely as a “track-related incident” but serious enough to force the evacuation of passengers from a train traveling the Cancún–Palenque route. 

The state-owned company reported no injuries and stated that protocols for passenger care and service continuity were activated. 

#Entérate Se descarrila nuevamente el #TrenMaya #Campeche Una pasajera del Tren Maya compartió en redes sociales un video en el que, según su reporte, se observa un presunto descarrilamiento cerca de la estación San Francisco de Campeche.

Debido al incidente, los pasajeros… pic.twitter.com/QT6RWW2qy5

— QuintanaRooNews (@quintanaroonews) September 1, 2026

According to a statement released by Tren Maya, the problem occurred around 3:30 p.m. as the train was departing the San Francisco de Campeche station. It involved the train’s last car, which had advanced a mere 50 meters from the railway terminal when it happened.

“In accordance with established technical procedures, the train driver brought the unit to a halt; no injuries were reported among the 123 passengers,” the Maya Train said. 

It added that the passengers were evacuated as a precautionary measure and transported by road to the Edzná station, from where they would continue their journey on another train.

Although the official statement described the event only as a “track-related incident” (un percance de vía), various media reports indicated that the last car had partially derailed. So far, no technical report has been released confirming or ruling out any derailment or identifying the causes of the incident.

The Maya Train also announced that a Railway Accident Review Commission has initiated the necessary investigations to determine the cause of the incident. 

This is the third incident of this type recorded on a Maya Train track. In August 2025, a derailment was reported near Mérida, also resulting in no injuries.

Earlier, in March 2024, another train derailed in Tixkokob, in Yucatán. Authorities later attributed the incident to a problem with a track-switching component.

The recurring problem occurs against a backdrop of questions regarding the project’s financial viability. Likewise, operational incidents increase pressure on the company to disclose the technical causes of the mishaps and the measures it will implement to strengthen safety, service continuity and financial sustainability.

An investigation published by the newspaper El Universal reported that the Maya Train recorded losses of 5.013 billion pesos (US $294.6 million) in the first half of 2026, compared to 4.810 billion pesos (US $282.7 million) recorded throughout 2025. 

According to that report, from the service’s inauguration through last June, accumulated expenses and losses totaled 14.104 billion pesos (US $828.9 million), while revenue from sales and service provision amounted to 1.060 billion pesos (US $62.3 million).