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It leaves everyday from Chihuahua to Los Mochis and from Los Mochis to Chihuahua at 6:00 a.m. |
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It stops only at the tourist destinations of Cuauhtémoc, Creel, Divisadero (a 15 minute stop to admire the Copper Canyon), Posada Barrancas, Bahuichivo/Cerocahui, Temoris, El Fuerte and Los Mochis |
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The train features a Dining Cara, a Smoking Bar Car and runs with 2 to 4, 68 passenger-cars. Fully carpeted, a/c and heaters, reclining seats, panoramic windows and restrooms for men and women. |
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The Dining Car opens from 7:30 am to 8:00 pm serving breakfast, lunch and dinner with menu a la carte. No food and beverages are allowed in the passenger cars. |
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Bar is open from 10:00 am serving different cocktails and liquors. Cards and domino games available. |
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Both trains operate with an ecological disposal of water. The running water doesn't flush to the ground, but it is taken to special sewage in Chihuahua or Los Mochis. |
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In every car a helpful Porter travels helping passengers with their luggage and to assign seats. |
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If you have time, it is advisable to stop at least in the stations of Creel and Divisadero to spend a night there. |
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From May to the end of June everything is very dry and you might find some mountain fires. |
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Rainy season is between June and late October. It is the best season for traveling because the landscapes have brighter colors. |
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From November through February the temperatures are low and you might have some snow. |
When the trains run on time, it really doesn't matter whether you travel westbound or eastbound, as the most spectacular points (Divisadero, Témoris) are reached in mid-afternoon in either direction. If the westbound train (No. 74) is running late, however, you risk not seeing Témoris – which is scheduled for a 4:30 p.m. arrival going west, 11:11 a.m. going east – in the winter when the sun sets early. Hence if your main objective is the train ride itself (as opposed to stopping over in the Sierra Tarahumara for a few days), the journey is best taken from the western end. Although many people start the trip in Los Mochis, it is just as well begun in El Fuerte since the scenery isn't that spectacular until well east of El Fuerte.
Overall,
the best views are seen from the south side of the train, i.e., the left side
westbound or the right side eastbound. Since
the train windows are rarely kept clean enough for an unobstructed view,
passengers often crowd onto the small platforms between cars for a look at the
passing scenery.
Wear
clothes you don't mind getting dirty if you anticipate standing between cars –
the dust and diesel soot outside may not be noticeable at first but they have a
definite cumulative effect.
There
is no checked baggage for personal items (unless you're dealing with FNM's cargo
department), but overhead space is ample for most bags.
Seats – arranged four across in pairs – usually recline in
first-class cars and there's plenty of leg room. If the train isn't full, you
can easily change cars when necessary (e.g., when the a/c or heating system in
your car isn't working properly).
Food
service is available in the dining cars on the first-class express trains. Drink are served in the bar cars. Snacks are for sale on the second-class trains.
The Chihuahua al Pacífico train suffered several armed robberies in 1993, but by early 1994 state judicial police working with federales and the Mexican army managed to bring all such incidents to a halt. Since then armed guards – either police or soldiers, sometimes uniformed, sometimes in civilian clothes – have accompanied every train trip, both first- and second-class.
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