Train travel in Bolivia is possible only on a few routes. The country has international train connections with Brazil, Argentina and Chile, but these railways are used only for freight traffic. There is also a rail connection with Peru by train ferry. There are no plans to introduce international passenger trains. Currently, passenger trains in Bolivia are operated by two operators on two distinct groups of lines. Ferroviaria Andina and Ferroviaria Oriental operate passenger and freight trains.
Railway lines in Bolivia are scenic but there is only a few trains, all with compulsory reservation. Very popular among tourists are railbuses through mountains, sleepy towns and remote villages. These trains are not equipped with toilet and in season tickets are sold a long time before the journey.
It is no possible to follow changes in timetable, so I provide only a general overview about traveling by train in Bolivia.
Last updated: 09.08.2024
Ferroviaria Oriental
Ferroviaria Oriental company was privatized in 1996, with 50% of its shares held by pension funds. It operates passenger services from Santa Cruz to the Brazilian and Argentine borders, and additionally, it handles freight transport on these routes. The company employs 463 workers, owns 28 locomotives, and approximately 750 freight cars. Ferroviaria Oriental’s trains transport roughly 500,000 passengers each year, most of whom use the connection to the Brazilian border. The network of railway lines operated by this carrier covers 1,243 kilometers. (according to the website www.gwrr.com)
The Santa Cruz – Quijarro train (near the Brazilian border) runs three types of trains on this route: Regional (Pullman and Primera class), Express Oriente (Super Pullman class), and railcar (ferrobus). Interestingly, the railcar is the most expensive but also the fastest option. According to the schedule, all trains cover part of the route at night. Trains on this line are known as the “Death Trains” due to fatal accidents involving passengers traveling on the roof in the past. From Quijarro, passengers can walk or take a taxi to the border crossing with Brazil. Just across the border lies the Brazilian town of Corumbá, from where buses operate to São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and cities in southern Brazil. From Corumbá, one can also travel to Santa Cruz by bus.
Another train operated by this carrier runs on the Santa Cruz – Yacuiba route (to the Argentine border), also covering part of the journey at night. These trains are marked as “Mixto” in the schedule. Along the way, the train stops at the stations Charagua, Boyuibe, and Villamontes. Many people travel to Yacuiba to cross the Bolivian-Argentine border and continue their journey. However, this is not easy. Buses to Salta and Jujuy depart from the town of Tartagal, which is 58 kilometers away from the border crossing. I couldn’t find any information about connections from Yacuiba to Tartagal.
Ferroviaria Oriental – official website
Ferroviaria Oriental – official fanpage, up-to-date information
Ferroviaria Andina
Ferroviaria Andina is a railway operator that runs trains in the western part of the country. According to the operator, the trains are comfortable, safe, and passengers are satisfied. In addition to passenger trains, Ferroviaria Andina also handles freight transport. The passenger trains are divided into several categories: local, turístico (tourist train), wara-wara (a passenger train that stops at all stations and stops), and Bus-Carril, which is a railcar.
In Ferroviaria Andina trains, there are three classes (based on the wara-wara train; railcars, of course, do not have such a division):
Clase Popular:
– Lowest comfort
– Non-reclining seats
– Upholstery made of artificial leather
– Toilet (with toilet paper and liquid soap)
– Vinyl and rubber flooring
– Heating
Clase Salón:
– Rotating seats
– Heating
– 21-inch TV displaying movies
– Vinyl and rubber flooring
– Toilet (with toilet paper, liquid soap, and paper towels)
– Reading lights
Clase Ejecutivo:
– Highest comfort
– Reclining lounge seats (semi-cama)
– Heating
– 29-inch TV displaying movies
– Carpeted flooring
– Toilet (with toilet paper, liquid soap, and paper towels)
– Fans
– Reading lights
– Beverages
– Steward service
– Blankets and pillows included
The trains operated on operate on the following routes:
– Oruro – Uyuni – Tupiza – Villazón (Expreso del Sur, Wara Wara del Sur)
– El Alto – Guaqui (Tren Turístico a Guaqui)
– Avaroa – Uyuni (no information)
– Cochabamba-Aiquile (railcar)
– Sucre-Potosí (railcar)
Trains may be cancelled, so check the timetable on your own.
An interesting option is theTren Turístico a Guaqui, which runs or ran every other Sunday of the month from El Alto, a suburb of La Paz. This is a purely tourist train, with a one-and-a-half-hour stop in Tiwanacu along the way, followed by a two-hour visit to Guaqui for sightseeing.
Railcars are also very popular, resembling an ordinary bus on tracks from a distance. The Sucre – Potosí line is particularly recommended, but according to recent information, this railcar is no longer in service.
The operator occasionally runs excursion trains, and there is an option for travel agencies to charter a train.
Ferroviaria Andina – official website
Ferroviaria Andina – official fanpage, up-to-date information
Locomotive graveyard in Uyuni
About 3 kilometers from the popular town of Uyuni, on the world’s largest salt flat, you can find a cemetery of steam locomotives. These steam engines once operated in Bolivia and neighboring countries, but now they stand dilapidated, often defaced with graffiti left by tourists as souvenirs. Among the remnants, you’ll find several British locomotives and even a steam engine from Belgium. The trains sit on rusted tracks that haven’t seen any traffic for a long time.
Uyuni used to be an important transportation hub. In the 19th century British built a railway line connecting the Chilean port of Antofagasta to Uyuni. The line was mainly used for transporting raw materials and minerals for export. As mining declined in importance, the railway line also fell into disuse, and the locomotives and freight cars were abandoned. Today, they are a tourist attraction, adding to the surreal landscape. The cemetery is famous worldwide, although some tourists claim that is overrated.
Railway Museum in Machacamarca
One of the less-known tourist attractions related to railways in Bolivia is the Railway Museum in Machacamarca. Located 30 kilometers south of Oruro, the museum presents the history of industrial and passenger railways in Bolivia with an exhibition of rolling stock.
Machacamarca was once a railway junction where the private Ferrocarril Machacamarca-Uncía line connected with the Oruro – Antofagasta line. This is a mining region with a rich history of mining railways.
The museum, founded in 2009, occupies a large part of the village of Machacamarca. Notable exhibits include the “Crocodile” locomotive, the German steam locomotive “Luzmilla” from 1913, and a handcar called “Al Capone,” manufactured in the United States in 1938. Visitors can also board historic passenger cars.
There is no information about the museum’s website or opening hours.
Old Train Station in La Paz
The closed train station in La Paz is a historic, grand building constructed in 1930. For a long time, it served passenger connections, but with the construction of roads, the railway lost its significance, and the station fell into decline until it was sold to a private owner and repurposed. I don’t know the full story of the station, but when I saw it in TV programs and YouTube videos, it looked terrible.
In 2019, the La Paz Cultural Center was established here, and the old train station now serves as a station for the red line of the cable car, which allows easy access to various parts of congested La Paz. Next to the station stands a locomotive, inside there is a café and a cultural center. The area has been renovated.
The old train station impresses with its architecture, but trains will never return to the station.
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