Construction continues on one of Latin America’s largest rail systems—called the Maya Train. The Mexican government is laying more than 1,500 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.