The National Fund for Tourism Promotion (Fonatur) of the Mexican Government has delayed the announcement of the basic engineering tender for the Mayan Train project from June 14 to July 15, 2019. 

Fonatur has justified the postponement by a high number of interested firms that are willing to participate in the development of the project. Currently, the tender has attracted 79 companies. The Fund works to respond to all the questions raised so that the information given is clear, transparent and adheres to what is established by law.

Aside from the adjusted date of tender, the project route of the Mayan Train is also modified. In the modified design, the transport system will pass through state and federal highways only, and will not be passing through a concessioned Kantunil-Cancún highway as originally planned. That avoids a negotiation with the concessionaire ICA and would save the government up to MXN5.5 billion (US$287 million). The changes to the plan mean the journey between Valladolid and Cancun will not be direct: it will pass through the archaeological site of Coba.

The legal director to Fonatur Varela Arellano has explained that a direct route between Valladolid and Cancun may be made in the future if the funds are available. He also said that there were no negotiations with the concessionary (ICA) and no technical and economic issues, or conflicts with the company. The director explained that they preferred the route from the city of Valladolid to pass through the archaeological zone of Coba before reaching Cancún. "We opted for a perpendicular line, helps reduce some 55 kilometers of the track". In addition, Varela Arellano assured that they will be very careful with the archaeological zones that the project will cross.

The project will consist of 10 tenders, totaling in almost USD 8 billion. This year three of the ten tenders will be carried out. Seven of the total will be for the sections of roads, one for the signaling and communication system of the train, another for trains and one more to develop the stations.

The 1,500-km train system is expected to begin operation by 2023.