El Tren del Fin del Mundo

Within the Tierra del Fuego National Park is El Tren del Fin del Mundo (’The End of the World Train’). This narrow gauge train (1 ft, 7 3/4 inches wide) was originally built in the early 1900’s as  a freight train to move materials into the town of Ushuaia. The Argentine government established Ushuaia as a penal colony and decided they would put the prisoners to work erecting buildings around town. The steam locomotive that we rode (pictured below, right), the Engineer Porta, was built in Argentina in 1994, the year that the End of the World train service resumed. El Tren del Fin del Mundo is the southernmost functioning railway in the world, albeit a heritage (tourist) train.

We took the train from inside the park out to the End of the World Station, and while waiting for the train to arrive I walked around on the tracks. I was amazed at how narrow the tracks are. They’re barely wider than my shoulders. And then the train arrived, emerging from the forest billowing steam. It was a bit surreal, like an over-sized toy. We purchased our tickets and were escorted into an empty car with 11 seats all to ourselves. I marveled at how I was able to reach over and touch the window on the opposite side of the train from my seat. Yes, it really was that small. After a few minutes the steam whistle blasted and we began the three mile journey through the park. We passed some beautiful scenery, sweeping green valleys, a river, and of course the snow capped Andes functioned as the backdrop. About halfway through we stopped at a waterfall and lookout point. We took the opportunity to take a few photos of the train and surroundings. A few minutes later we arrived at our destination – the End of the World train station where they have a gift shop and restrooms.

Taking the train was a very nice way to end our day in Tierra del Fuego National Park. It was relaxing and fun, especially having an entire train car to ourselves. The train doesn’t travel very quickly, which helps when taking photos (I remember attempting to take photos on trains in Italy and Scotland earlier this year and that was no picnic). The experience is a bit kitschy, and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who doesn’t really enjoy trains or isn’t in a terrible hurry to get back to Ushuaia.

Details:

Tickets for the train are 110 Argentine pesos one way and 130 Argentine pesos round trip. It is possible to purchase one way tickets inside the park from the conductors if you wish to go from the park to the train station. There isn’t much of a station inside the park, the tracks just end at a platform, there are no services or buildings. The trains are very small and do not have many seats. If you are visiting in high season it could be difficult to get tickets. The train station is 8km west of Ushuaia. You’ll have to take a taxi or arrange for a shuttle to get to the End of the World Station.

Times

The End of the World Train leaves the station at 9:30am and 3:00pm daily. Trains depart from within the park returning to the train station at 10:40am and 4:10pm daily. The train travels a route of 3 miles and takes approximately 45 minutes to complete the journey, with a stop in the middle.