The New Year Express is set to become the first luxury long-distance service of the Maya Train, a four-day and three-night route that will begin operating at the end of December 2025. Announced by director general Óscar David Lozano Águila, the initiative marks a significant shift toward premium tourism offerings in southeastern Mexico. It departs from and returns to the Felipe Ángeles International Airport, connecting travelers with key destinations in Quintana Roo and Yucatán, including Tulum, Cancún and Mérida. For many observers, this launch could signal a new phase for long-distance mobility in the region.
The itinerary closes the year with an unusual promise. Passengers will welcome 2026 with a celebratory dinner in Mérida and a dawn arrival in Puerto Progreso for the first sunrise of the year. Such details appear designed to draw national and international visitors seeking an organized, high-comfort experience during peak season.
What sets the New Year Express apart from other routes
At the center of the announcement is a seven-car luxury train model, the first of three high-end units joining the Maya Train’s fleet of 42. The configuration might seem modest, but officials argue it offers a range of comfort levels uncommon in current national rail services. Two cars will operate in tourist class, two in first class with reclining electric seating, one will serve as the kitchen car, and two will feature cabins and a dining area reserved exclusively for premium passengers.
A micro-story shared by a booking agent in Mérida captured the tone of the rollout. She described the moment a couple asked whether the New Year Express would feel like “traveling in a moving hotel.” Her answer was cautious but optimistic: “It could be closer to that experience than anything we have seen so far.” Her words echo a broader sentiment. The Maya Train appears to be testing how far travelers are willing to go for curated routes that mix comfort, archaeology and seasonal celebration.
During the journey, travelers will have access to guided tours, entry to archaeological zones, restaurant-quality meals and ground transfers. A special toast on board will mark the transition between years. Inside the industry, the package is being watched closely. As a tourism operator in Cancún noted, “If this works, it changes the conversation about long-distance tourism in the peninsula.”
Price tiers and what each package includes
The New Year Express will offer two main pricing options. The Basic package starts at 22,998 pesos per person, while the Premium option begins at 28,997 pesos. Costs could vary depending on the date selected and additional amenities. Both versions include round-trip flights between AIFA and Tulum on Mexicana de Aviación, accommodations at Grupo Mundo Maya hotels and all programmed activities.
Among the scheduled highlights are visits to the Tulum archaeological zone and the Jaguar Park, New Year’s dinner in Mérida and a guided arrival to Puerto Progreso at daybreak on January 1, 2026. For many travelers, the idea of starting the year by the Gulf of Mexico likely carries symbolic weight as well as visual appeal.
Why this winter season matters for southeastern Mexico
The launch of the New Year Express comes alongside a broader release of 20 tourist packages that the Maya Train and Grupo Mundo Maya will operate between December 2, 2025 and January 20, 2026. These offers include themed routes such as Heart of the Ancients, Paradise of the Mayab, Land of the Jaguar, Seas and Lagoons and others priced between 14,760 and 26,826 pesos. They are structured around short, guided itineraries intended to generate higher occupancy during the winter season.
One notable package priced at 17,586 pesos proposes a four-day journey from AIFA to Tulum, Bacalar and Chetumal. It includes lodging in Tulum, tours of archaeological sites, free time at beaches, a visit to the Seven Colors Lagoon and a scheduled dinner in Bacalar. A second route, the Path of Wonders, begins at 17,095 pesos and focuses on Mérida, Chichén Itzá and Valladolid. Its departures are distributed in December and mid-January.
With these releases, officials appear to be testing how travelers respond to a larger network of short-distance circuits connected by air and rail. It also suggests a strategic pivot by Grupo Mundo Maya, which is looking to improve hotel occupancy after a summer that saw more than nine thousand tourists in July and over ten thousand in August.
Expectations for passenger movement and hotel occupancy rise
Lozano Águila said the Maya Train expects to exceed its transport target of 1.2 million passengers for the year. The system could close with as many as 1.384 million, an upward adjustment that reinforces the federal government’s narrative that demand is stabilizing. In Quintana Roo and the Riviera Maya, this rise might support additional winter flights, excursions and long-distance itineraries.
Meanwhile, Tonatiuh Velasco, who oversees the hotel division, emphasized that all Grupo Mundo Maya properties are categorized as four-star hotels. He added that the upcoming packages might help elevate occupancy during high season, particularly in destinations like Tulum and Mérida, where demand fluctuates sharply during the holidays. For industry analysts, these expectations remain plausible but dependent on pricing, flight availability and visitor confidence in infrastructure reliability.
Airfare strategy and how Mexicana fits into the picture
A parallel announcement by Mexicana de Aviación added another layer to the winter strategy. Director Leonardo Ávila explained that the airline’s fares remain between 18 and 22 percent below the commercial average. Special seasonal fares will also apply to routes associated with package departures. Although the airline’s recovery continues to face questions, its pricing approach could make bundled rail-air itineraries more attractive for domestic tourists.
A subtle reflection emerges here. Southeastern Mexico is entering a phase where infrastructure, rather than marketing, might define visitor experience. The coordinated use of flights, luxury railcars and four-star accommodations could reshape how tourists move across the peninsula, but only if reliability and service quality keep pace with demand.
Booking channels and how travelers can access the new routes
Reservations for the New Year Express and other winter packages will be available through the Maya Train’s official website, its mobile application for Android and iOS, its call center and WhatsApp line, a dedicated email for tourist packages and authorized ticket offices. The system is intentionally broad. Officials appear to be anticipating a mix of domestic and international interest, particularly from travelers already accustomed to all-inclusive formats in the Riviera Maya.
The Tulum Times reviewed the booking materials and found that most packages highlight archaeological access, coastal experiences and short-haul regional transfers. For a region where travelers often struggle to combine multiple destinations without renting a vehicle, these structured itineraries could help address a persistent logistical gap.
What the New Year Express could mean for long-distance travel
With its first long-distance luxury service, the Maya Train seems to be testing a model that blends curated experiences, fixed itineraries and seasonal symbolism. The New Year Express might not redefine the tourism map overnight, but it offers a glimpse into what federal planners envision for the system’s long-term role across Yucatán and Quintana Roo. And if passengers embrace the idea of celebrating the new year between Mérida and Puerto Progreso, more thematic routes could follow.
As the winter season approaches, southeastern Mexico stands at a crossroads. The region is betting that integrated transport experiences can drive higher occupancy, create new tour circuits and capture the imagination of year-end travelers.
In the end, the stakes extend beyond rail service. They touch on how travelers interpret movement, comfort and celebration in a region where tourism continues to evolve.
The New Year Express is poised to be part of that shift. We’d love to hear your thoughts. Join the conversation on The Tulum Times’ social media.
What aspect of this new long-distance service do you think will matter most to travelers?