A Mayan Train station at La Plancha would contaminate underground water systems with oils, fuels, sanitary wastewater and grease, a United Nations body warned.
UN-Habitat also cited the risk of sinkholes given the characteristics of Yucatan’s soil.
The analysis indicates that “the proposed route of the Mayan Train may be subject to damage … due to the weight of the infrastructure and the increase in land cargo, presence of fracture zone, cenotes and due to the karst nature of the calcareous terrain.”
The La Plancha area represents a large area of natural water absorption, making the mega-project a flood risk, UN-Habitat said.
The train station — which would bring freight and tourists from Cancun and other spots on the Peninsula — would also strain water supplies by adding demand.
Local residents face the risk of being displaced by the train station, the report further warned. Traffic hazards, noise pollution and gentrification were other problems seen in building a train station there.
Local activists for years have fought for a park at La Plancha, a multi-acre parcel of land that was once railroad yards.
