Construction continues on one of Latin America’s largest rail systems—called the Maya Train. The Mexican government is laying more than 15 hundred kilometers of rails ​across 5 states of southeastern Mexico, including the culturally rich Yucatan peninsula— a region known worldwide for its beach resorts and Maya pyramids. 

It's a legacy infrastructure project for Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. He promises an economic boom for one of Mexico’s poorest regions - ​while critics call it a looming ecological nightmare that threatens the Maya people who still live there today. 

CGTN’s Franc Contreras has the first of a 3-part series examining the costs and possible benefits of this massive infrastructure project.

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