Learn about tourist train services in Chile these summer vacations
From Arica to Temuco, tourist and heritage trains will be ready to show you the country.
A number of tourist and heritage trains have been put into service by the state railway company, EFE, for the summer vacations. They will be available from Arica to Temuco.
The president of EFE, Eric Martin, stated that this holiday season is a very special one, as the company turned 140 years old on January 4. A new bimodal train has been launched in honor of the anniversary. It is the most modern in South America, and debuted this Friday, January 19 in Curicó.
“We are making everything we can available to our passengers this summer, offering the same quality, safety and comfort as always. We have a history of railways linked to tourism, and this has now been joined by the implementation of the fastest train in South America. With this, EFE is taking a new step towards modernity through higher standards,” Martin stated.
Summer tourist and heritage train itineraries
This summer season will not only see the debut of the new bimodal train to Curicó. Through its alliances, EFE will also put into service a number of tourist and heritage trains from the Arica and Parinacota Region to La Araucanía.
- Arica-La Paz: In the north of Chile, the EFE Arica La Paz service will travel to the town of Poconchile in the Lluta Valley on January 13 and 27.
- Heritage Train to Ritoque: This train will be in service every weekend. For the first time, it will travel to Ritoque beach in the municipality of Quintero. These journeys can be made from the town of Limache and, in February, can be made from Santiago.
- Santiago to San Antonio: This service joins a special route from Rancagua to the port of San Antonio, so that the inhabitants of the O’Higgins Region can also enjoy this experience for the first time.
- Heritage Train to Ocoa: This train will depart from the municipality of Hijuelas in the Valparaíso Region, where a heritage fair with the best of our country’s traditions will take place.
- Talca-Constitución narrow-gauge railway: The service has been resumed following infrastructure repairs as a result of storm damage. There will be two daily departures in each direction, and the journey will take 2 hours 50 minutes.
- Concepción-Colcura: In Chile’s south-central zone, journeys can be made between Concepción and Colcura beach in Lota for the first time this summer. The route to Penco beach in the Biobío Region will also be resumed.
- Pitrufquén: In La Araucanía Region, special departures will be scheduled to Pitrufquén for La Truchada Festival on the Toltén River. Temuco’s Pablo Neruda Railway Museum will also resume its traditional journeys in February, on our country’s only operational steam train, bound for the municipality of Victoria.
All available train and travel schedules for this summer 2024 are available on www.efe.cl and www.trendelrecuerdo.cl.