The Mexican national fund for tourism (Fonatur) has announced the changes to the Maya train project. The Mérida-Cancún-Chetumal section of the project will be electrified from its original construction.

The 690 km section comprises 40% of the total railroad. The Mérida-Cancún-Chetumal section is a most traveled route and it will be adjusted for the placement of electric traction in the rolling stock and in the railway infrastructure from the beginning. The infrastructure will allow the circulation of diesel-electric hybrid locomotives as well as pure electric locomotives.

In late January 2020, Fonatur 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 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.