El Salvador has a rich and interesting history of the railway. Unfortunately, train travel in El Salvador is currently impossible. All attempts to reinstate regular passenger trains and tourist trains in El Salvador failed. Tourists can visit a little railway museum in Sonsonate, National Railway Museum in San Salvador.
There is a miniature railway in Parque Infantil de San Salvador in the downtown of the capital of the country. The miniature train consists a locomotive and four small carriages and carry children around the park. It is intended as an attraction for children. Total length of the miniature railway is about 1100 meters. The tracks and stations have been renovated in 2022.
Last update: 08.08.2024
National Railway Museum in San Salvador
In 2015, the National Railway Museum was inaugurated in the FENADESAL locomotive depot and workshops in the capital of the country. The museum has a collection of steam and diesel locomotives, passenger carriages and other rolling stock and items such photos, documents, uniforms, connected with the railway. In museum you you can learn about the history of El Salvador’s railways. On certain days museum offers short rides with train within museum area.
National Railway Museum in San Salvador The museum was closed for a long time due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It is unknown whether it is reopened to visitors.
History of the railway in El Salvador
The history of railways in El Salvador began on April 9, 1881, when the national carrier was established – Ferrocarriles Nacionales de El Salvador (FENADESAL).
The first railway in El Salvador connected the port of Acajutla with the town of Sonsonate (21 kilometers) and was opened on 2 March 1882. On March 28, the first steam locomotive arrived from Great Britain. In Sonsonate, old railway tracks, a locomotive depot and workshops have been preserved, but are in poor state.
At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, a network of railway lines was built. The railway connected Sonsonate with San Salvador and Santa Ana. A railway link connecting El Salvador with Guatemala was established.
Parts of network were managed separately by The Salvador Railway Company Limited and IRCA – International Railways of Central America.
In 1965 two companies were nationalized. The Salvador Railway Company Limited was renamed FES – Ferrocarril de El Salvador and IRCA renamed FENASAL – Ferrocarril Nacional de El Salvador.
In 1975, based on a governmental decree, the two companies merged into FENADESAL – Ferrocarriles Nacionales de El Salvador.
The civil war of 1980-1992 caused the collapse of rail transport in El Salvador. Lots of victims, destroyed infrastructure, increase in violent crime – the country plunged into crisis. After the end of the war, FENADESAL trains ran on the La Toma de Aguilares – San Salvador – Texispeteque – Santa Ana route.
All rail transport was suspended in October 2002.
From October 2004 to April 2005, trains ran on the San Salvador – Soyapango section because a road bridge between the cities collapsed.
From October 1, 2007 to August 20, 2012, the passenger train ran on a twenty-kilometer section between San Salvador – Apopa. Initially, the train ride was free, but later a fee of 10 cents was introduced. From time to time, a nostalgic train hauled by a steam locomotive was also launched. The passenger train ran twice a day on weekdays.
Timetable in 2012:
San Salvador 6:00 –> Apopa 6:40- 6:50 –> San Salvador 7:30
San Salvador 16:30 –> Apopa 17:10-17:20 –> San Salvador 18:00
Train from San Salvador to Apopa – video (You Tube)
In 2018 there were plans to launch a tourist train Turitren 503 from San Salvador to Sitio del Niño (40 km) with stops in Apopa, Nejapa and Quezaltepeque.
In 2021 the Comisión Ejecutiva Portuaria Autónoma (port authority) announced a project to build a railway line from the port in Ajacutla to Sonsonate in first stage (Tren del Pacífico), with later extension to San Salvador. The entire railway will be 535 km long and will be electrified. I think that the project will be soon abandoned.
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