Tourist Trains in Chile

Photo: subturismo.gob.cl

     EFE (National Railway of Chile) made public the new routes that its tourist trains will cover this Summer (2017). Throughout the season, EFE will have tourist travels every week in the Región Metropolitana, Valparaiso, O'Higgins, Maule and Los Ríos. In addition, there will be biweekly or monthly departures in destinations within La Araucanía Region. The "Trenes Turísticos" project was presented at the Estación Central (Central Railway Station) in Santiago by the Undersecretary of Tourism, Javiera Montes, together with the General Manager of the EFE Group, Marisa Kausel. The "Trenes Turísticos" brand, will group together all the railway services of this type that operate throughout Chile. Although currently quite depressed as a means of people transportation, since 1850 when the construction of the first Chilean railway began, trains were part of the construction of the country. The trains have been of great contribution in the transport of minerals in Northern Chile and in the development of each corner of the South. The challenge today is to develop a Railway Tourism as a new tourist product, framed under the brand "Trenes Turísticos", an initiative supported by the National Plan for Sustainable Tourism, carried out by the Undersecretariat of Tourism, State Railways (EFE), SERNATUR regional offices, entrepreneurs of the regions involved and The Railway Museum of  La Araucanía Region. 

Photo: Cooperativa.cl

          The new tourist trains will be ten, running between January and March, but there are also offers throughout the year, operating in 7 regions of the country, with 11 travel alternatives. In addition, the project will continue to grow in 2017, as a new project will be added along a stretch of the Arica - La Paz railway, specifically between Arica and the town of Poconchile, a 40 kilometers route through the Valle de Lluta. Many of these trips also include tastings on board the train, transfer by bus and guided visits to tourist attractions in the area, some of the choices are:

 Tren del Recuerdo, Santiago- San Antonio

January         7- 14- 21- 28
February       4- 11- 18- 25
March             4- 11- 25
Departure:    Santiago                       9:45              -  San Antonio        13:30
Return:           San Antonio              18:00              -  Santiago              21:30
Tickets can be purchased at www.trendelrecuerdo.cl

Sabores del Valle, Santiago- San Fernando

January         7- 14- 21- 28

February       4- 11- 18- 25

Departure:    Santiago                        9:10           -  San Fernando      10:41

Return:           San Fernando           18:00           -  Santiago                20:15

Tickets can be purchased at www.trencentral.cl

 Sabores del Maule, Santiago- San Rafael 

January        21

February      18

Departure:   Santiago                       9:10          -  San Rafael               12:00

Return:          San Rafael                  17:15          -  Santiago                  20:15

Tickets can be purchased at www.trencentral.cl

Sabores y Espumantes, Santiago- San Rafael- Molina- Santiago

January         14

February       18

Departure:    Santiago                      9:10         -  San Rafael               11:39

Return:           Molina                        17:49         -  Santiago                  20:15

Tickets can be purchased at www.trencentral.cl

Bus Carril, Talca- Constitución

January           7- 14- 21- 28

February         4- 11- 18- 25

Departure:      Talca                          12:15        - Gonzalez Bastías    14:15

Return:             Gonzalez Bastías  17:15          -  Talca                        18:40 

Tickets can be purchased at www.trencentral.cl

Tren de La Araucanía, Temuco- Victoria

January          29

February        12- 26

March              19

Departure:     Temuco                       11:10         - Victoria                     13:10
Return:            Victoria                      16:45        - Temuco                     18:30
Sale of tickets only at "Museo Ferroviario de Temuco".

Tren Santiago- Temuco

January          13- 27

Departure:     Santiago    Friday   21:30        - Temuco Saturday   9:20 
Return:            Temuco      Sunday 18:25         - Santiago Monday   6:16  
Tickets can be purchased at www.trencentral.cl

Tren El Valdiviano, Valdivia- Antilhue

January            8- 15- 22- 29

February          5- 12- 19- 26

March                5

Departure:       Valdivia                     11:30          - Antilhue                  13:30

Return:              Antilhue                     16:10         - Valdivia                  17:40

Tickets can be purchased at www.fesur.cl

Tren Corto Laja Turístico

Between April and December

Days to be determined

Departure:       Talcahuano               9:30            - Laja                          13:30

Return:              Laja                              16:50        - Talcahuano            19:20

Tickets can be purchased at www fesur.cl

Góndola Carril Los Andes- Rio Blanco

Between April and December

Days to be determined
Hours to be determined

Tren Turístico Concepción- Laraquete

January

Days to be determined

Hours to be determined

The stops considered on this trip are Playa Blanca, Colcura, Laraquete.