The Mexican national fund for tourism (Fonatur) has announced the schedule for the tendering process and construction for the first phase of the Maya Train project. The first phase of the project which is 951 kilometers long and is divided into five sections as follows.

• Section one: Palenque to Escárcega. 
• Section two: Escárcega to Calkiní. 
• Section three: Calkini to Izamal
• Section four: Izamal to Tulum
• Section five: Tulum to Cancun

The authority is planning to tender the first and second section of the rail route on February 07, 2020 and April 17, 2020 consecutively. Both sections' construction work will begin on April 30, 2020.

Section 3 is scheduled to be tendered on February 21, 2020 for which the construction works will begin on May 18, 2020. Section 4 tender will be launched on February 28, 2020, for which construction works will begin on May 25, 2020. For section 5 the tendering process will be held on March 6, 2020, which will also begin construction works on May 25, 2020.

The whole project includes the development of 1,525km long railway line across Mexico. The rail route is divided into three phases: The gulf route coming out of Palenque, with stops in Tenosique, Chiapas, Escarcega and Campeche; continuing north with stops in Maxcanu, Merida, Izamal, Valladolid, and Cancun; the Caribbean route will start from Mayan Riviera, with stops in Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Felipe Carrillo Puerto, and Bacalar. The Jungle route will go from Bacalar to Xpujil and Calakmul, in Campeche continuing towards the Gulf route.

The informational workshop for companies interested in the project was held on January 22, 2020, which attracted 85 companies including 20 foreign companies from Spain, Canada, Portugal, Brazil, and China. The tender will be available after its launch on the government's CompraNet online platform.