Elevated Maya train in Merida is feasible, says a researcher from UADY

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Researchers and professors at the Faculty of Architecture of the Autonomous University of Yucatán considered that it is necessary to do extensive and in-depth studies and not only of construction costs.

The researcher and professor at the Faculty of Architecture of the Autonomous University of Yucatán, María Elena Torres, considered that extensive and in-depth studies are needed, and not only of the construction costs but about the effects and maintenance costs that the project would have, the project of the Mayan Train in Mérida, being elevated, as well as the urban image that cannot be left aside

The head of the National Tourism Promotion Fund (Fonatur), Rogelio Jiménez Pons, ruled out that the Mayan Train will arrive in Mérida underground and it is projected that the entrance route to the capital, as well as the station of La Plancha, will be elevated 9 meters high.

Elena Torres considered that in terms of engineering the work may be feasible, but it is not only a matter of construction costs or viability but about the impacts that wanting to carry out a work of this type may have within a city that when the trend in the world is that, when train stations are built, they are built on the outskirts of cities.

“To date, there are no impact studies, urban structure, costs. There are no studies of the city, for example, the diameter of the columns to support the train tracks, the magnitude of the vibrations and how much they would cover ”.

“Yes, it can be done, of course, because science and engineering have advanced enough for it, but we are talking about the fact that today we do not know the impacts that the work could have and, without these studies, it is a mere idea” she insisted.

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However, she said that any idea or projection that is made should go in parallel with the technical studies of the work itself and the effects in the short and medium-term.

“We would need to know what will support the train viaduct, whether it would be pillars, columns, how wide, how large would the vibrations be, how would the accesses and maintenance be regulated, where the posts would fall if on the house or the roads ”, she stated.

From his point of view, she commented that the work will always bring damages, but it is necessary to see where they can be less and, in this case, she said that doing the station on the periphery would be the best because it is a work with multiple benefits, but which could also have damage.

“I repeat that in terms of engineering it may be possible to do it, but I do not think it is the most appropriate, because we are also talking about a historic city in which a foundation process would have to be carried out, where they can be found in the subsoil archaeological sites, cenotes, cavities. Many things could be discovered in the foundation, “she explained.

María Elena Torres Pérez reiterated that there are many technical aspects to be considered, such as the speed of the train and the vibrations that it will generate per minute and in what way they will be distributed, what is the distance that they would cover.

“There are technical issues that must be solved, otherwise it will be a chain of negative effects and it could affect homes and the city. You have to do studies, prevent and measure the impact, ” she said.

Torres Pérez added that another important issue is how having an elevated viaduct in a historic city such as Mérida could affect the urban image.

“And here it is not a question of denying or being against a project like this, but rather pointing out that the necessary actions are not being taken, there are no technical studies, that it is not well thought out, and that all this should be parallel, while ideas are being presented, there should be a technical team that is working to define the construction costs, the costs of affectation and the maintenance costs ”, she mentioned.

She explained that it is not just to measure the project in costs than what would be invested in resources, but the effects and consequences that the work can bring. Also, for example, she commented that it should be evaluated which buildings would be affected if there could be expropriations, as well as the long-term maintenance cost, which can be high and forever.

Also, she reiterated that a risk assessment study must also be carried out, but all this information must also be socialized, both with specialists and citizens.

“The population should know the risks and the studies so that they know whether or not they support the Mayan Train in Merida,” she said.

In the case of the La Plancha station, Elena Torres said that the idea is good, to be able to combine a modern work with a work and a historical area such as the railroad in Mérida, but recalled that this is a cultural heritage and there must be a correct evaluation of the impacts.

It would be weird.

Neighbors in the La Plancha area considered that “it would be strange” to see an elevated structure by the place that makes the train arrive, but they pointed out that it is a good action that something that years ago gave service to many people.

Mr. Carlos Federico Cárdenas Duarte, who has lived in the area for 25 years and worked on the railroad for 32 years, said that it is very good that the train that for many years served the people who traveled to Tizimín, Valladolid, to Mexico City.

“Now I think that it would be good, but also like it would be strange to see that it is on the top, but you have to see how they do it. I worked so many years on the railroad and it is a work that I cannot see badly because it will bring benefits ”, he explained.

He said that the train went to Mexico City for 36 hours in total, and one also traveled from Campeche to Tizimín, and the train left at 5 in the morning and arrived at 11, the one from Valladolid left around 5 in the afternoon, and thus the people were served.

Mr. Jorge Sánchez May, another neighbor and who works in the cleaning of the parks, explained that specialists must know if the work can be done, but ultimately it would bring a benefit to the population that could move more quickly and hopefully, he said, it’s cheap for passengers.

Source: poresto.net

The Yucatan Post