How The Tren Maya Rolls Out New Train Cars

New train cars for the Tren Maya are on their way to Cancun. When first announces, the Tren Maya was going to feature three types of trains. Until now, the Xiinbal (passenger train) has been exclusively used. On August 30, 2025, 6 more train cars were shipped from Sahagún City, Hidalgo (Mexico) to Cancun. The Tren Maya cars are being made there at the Alstom factory. This new shipment is important because it will add another type of train service on the Tren Maya.

The Different Types of Tren Maya Trains

There are three types of trains planed for the Tren Maya. When all of the project is done there will be a total of 42 trains running. Here are the details of the types of trains that will be used for the Tren Maya.

Standard Train. Called Xiinbal. This train will either have 4 or 7 cars. The shorter train of 4 cars can carry 230 people and the larger train can carry 430 passengers.
The Janal will have a restaurant on board. There will be 8 of these trains. Each train will have 4 cars and carry up to 140 passengers.
The long-distance train will be called P’atal. This train will have sleeping cabins for the long-distance routes. There will be three of these trains and each can carry 260 passengers.

What will the new train service be like?

Included in the new shipment of train cars are the Janal train cars. These cars are expected to go into service later this year.

What Is the Janal Train?

Janal, meaning “to eat” in Mayan, is a luxurious train car within the Tren Maya system designed to offer an onboard dining experience steeped in regional cuisine and cultural design.

Key Features & Experience

1. Gastronomic Journey on Rails

The Janal car functions as a fine-dining restaurant on wheels, serving a wide range of traditional Mayan and regional dishes. Expect delicacies like cochinita pibil, soup of lime, panuchos, chipilín tamales, and regional beverages such as pozol, artesanal beers, and aguas frescas.
It’s described as an immersive culinary experience, where flavors of southern Mexico meet elegant presentation.

What a car on the Janal Tren Maya will look like.

2. Elegant, Jaguar-Inspired Design

The car’s exterior features design elements drawn from the jaguar’s iconic spots, using regal tones of gold, dark turquoise, and brown.
Interiors draw inspiration from the works of modernist architect Luis Barragán, prioritizing aesthetic elegance, clean lines, and a serene ambiance.

3. Seating & Capacity

Each Janal train consists of four cars, accommodating around 140 passengers total.
Seating is designed for comfort and social enjoyment, featuring tables for two and four people, ideal for couples or small groups.

4. Scenic Windows

Full-height panoramic windows line the car, providing live access to green forest, cenotes, and other iconic landscapes of the Yucatán Peninsula. Although if you have seen any of our videos about the Tren Maya, most of the scenery is either construction or green trees. It is not really a scenic train in our opinion.

Overall Experience

The Janal train car is more than just transport—it is a traveling dining venue that celebrates the heritage and gastronomy of southern Mexico in comfort and style. It combines cultural storytelling through cuisine, thoughtful design, and stunning visuals for a uniquely immersive journey.

How this is new train experience will be sold will be interesting to see. It is a concept that might attract more attention because it is an experience. The Janal train can be sold as an experience on your way to Chichen Itza for example. It also might be offered to groups that are going between the large hotels that are being built in conjunction with some of the Mayan ruin sites. If it is just a form of transportation, it might not be received that well since many of the destinations like Valladolid, Merida, Izamal etc. have great local restaurants that offer great value already.