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The Ferrocarril Chihuahua al PacÃfico (Chihuahua-Pacific Railway), also known as El Chepe from its
/ref> The tracks pass over 37
/ref> Each one-way trip takes roughly 16 hours. The track also crosses over itself to gain elevation. The headquarters were in turn located in Mexico City, Chihuahua and Los Mochis.
El Chepe (chepe.mx)
* â
El Chepe (chepe.com.mx)
: Mexican railroad discussion and study group
How to Visit Copper Canyon by Train
Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacifico
North America Railway Hall of Fame {{DEFAULTSORT:Chihuahua al Pacifico Heritage railways in Mexico Transportation in Chihuahua (state) Transportation in Sinaloa Named passenger trains of Mexico Tourist attractions in Chihuahua (state) Tourist attractions in Sinaloa Railway companies established in 1880 1880 establishments in Mexico Railway lines opened in 1900 Railway companies disestablished in 1990 Defunct railway companies of Mexico Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México Sierra Madre Occidental
The Ferrocarril Chihuahua al PacÃfico (Chihuahua-Pacific Railway), also known as El Chepe from its reporting mark
A reporting mark is a code used to identify owners or lessees of rolling stock and other equipment used on certain rail transport networks. The code typically reflects the name or identifying number of the owner, lessee, or operator of the equip ...
CHP, is a major rail line in northwest Mexico
Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...
, linking Chihuahua City
The city of Chihuahua ''(La Ciudad de Chihuahua)'' () is the state capital of the Mexican state of Chihuahua. , the city of Chihuahua had a population of 925,762 inhabitants. while the metropolitan area had a population of 988,065 inhabitants.
Am ...
, to Los Mochis
Los Mochis () is a coastal city in northern Sinaloa, Mexico. It serves as the municipal seat of the municipality of Ahome. As of the 2010 census, the population was 362,613, which was 61 percent of the municipality's population.
Los Mochis is th ...
and its port, Topolobampo
Topolobampo () is a port on the Gulf of California in northwestern Sinaloa, Mexico. It is the fourth-largest town in the municipality of Ahome (after Los Mochis, Ahome, and Higuera de Zaragoza), reporting a 2010 census population of 6,361 inha ...
. It crosses the Sierra Madre Occidental
The Sierra Madre Occidental is a major mountain range system of the North American Cordillera, that runs northwest–southeast through northwestern and western Mexico, and along the Gulf of California. The Sierra Madre is part of the American ...
, part of the range that in the United States is called the Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico ...
. There is no road covering the trajectory.
It runs , traversing the Copper Canyon, a rugged series of canyons that have led some to call this the most scenic railroad trip on the continent. It is both an important transportation system for locals and a draw for tourists.COPPER CANYON - Chihuahua al PacÃfico Train/ref> The tracks pass over 37
bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually someth ...
s and through 86 tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, and enclosed except for the entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube cons ...
s, rising as high as above sea level near Divisadero (the continental divide
A continental divide is a drainage divide on a continent such that the drainage basin on one side of the divide feeds into one ocean or sea, and the basin on the other side either feeds into a different ocean or sea, or else is endorheic, not c ...
), a popular lookout spot over the canyons.Chepe.mx/ref> Each one-way trip takes roughly 16 hours. The track also crosses over itself to gain elevation. The headquarters were in turn located in Mexico City, Chihuahua and Los Mochis.
History
The goal was to build the shortest (1,600 miles) transcontinental railroad from Pacific coast to the Midwest. The concept of the railroad was officially recognized in 1880, when thepresident of Mexico
The president of Mexico ( es, link=no, Presidente de México), officially the president of the United Mexican States ( es, link=no, Presidente de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos), is the head of state and head of government of Mexico. Under the ...
, General Manuel González, granted a rail concession to Albert Kinsey Owen of the Utopia Socialist Colony of New Harmony, Indiana
New Harmony is a historic town on the Wabash River in Harmony Township, Posey County, Indiana. It lies north of Mount Vernon, the county seat, and is part of the Evansville metropolitan area. The town's population was 789 at the 2010 census. ...
, United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
, who was seeking to develop a socialist colony in Mexico. The railroad was actually built by Arthur Stilwell as the Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway
The Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway, started in 1900 by American railroad entrepreneur Arthur Edward Stilwell, was the predecessor of the Chihuahua al PacÃfico railroad in Mexico. It was intended to reach the Pacific Ocean at Topolobam ...
, starting about 1900.
From 1910 to 1914, ''Ferrocarril del Noroeste'' completed the Temosachic-Casas-Grandes line. ''Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway'' completed the Chihuahua-Ojinaga section. Enrique Creel's ''Chihuahua al PacÃfico'' railroad completed the Chihuahua-Creel section.
In 1940, the Mexico acquired rights from ''Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway''. In May 1952, Mexico took possession of a line operated by ''Mexican Northwestern Railway''. In 1955, Mexico merged them as ''Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacifico, S.A. de C.V.''
Financial difficulties caused by the cost of building a railroad through rugged terrain delayed the project, and the ChP was not completed until 1961.
The private rail franchise Ferromex
Ferromex (syllabic abbreviation of Ferrocarril Mexicano or "Mexican Railway") is a private rail consortium that operates the largest (by mileage) railway in Mexico with combined mileage (Ferromex + Ferrosur) of and is part of the North American ...
took over the railroad from the Mexican government in 1998.
Schedule
In general, two different passenger trains run daily: ''Chepe Regional'', a slower service with more stops for locals, with 15 official stops and more than 50flag stop
In public transport, a request stop, flag stop, or whistle stop is a stop or station at which buses or trains, respectively, stop only on request; that is, only if there are passengers or freight to be picked up or dropped off. In this way, s ...
s at which boardings or disembarkations can be made at passenger request, and the other a luxury, ''Chepe Express'', direct service for tourists, which is faster and more expensive. First-class trains are composed of two to three cars, each holding 64 passengers. Second-class trains have three or four cars, each holding 68 passengers.
There is also regular cargo service running between Topolobampo and Chihuahua that might be further increased and extended so as to connect with the Texas Pacifico Transportation
Texas Pacifico Transportation Ltd. is a Class III railroad operating company in West Texas owned by Grupo México. The company operates over the South Orient Rail Line under a lease and operating agreement with the Texas Department of Transp ...
Railroad at the Ojinaga Presidio
A presidio ( en, jail, fortification) was a fortified base established by the Spanish Empire around between 16th and 18th centuries in areas in condition of their control or influence. The presidios of Spanish Philippines in particular, were cen ...
Crossing into the United States as a part of the La Entrada al Pacifico
LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States.
La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* La (musical note), or A, the sixth note
* "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...
.
On its way from Los Mochis
Los Mochis () is a coastal city in northern Sinaloa, Mexico. It serves as the municipal seat of the municipality of Ahome. As of the 2010 census, the population was 362,613, which was 61 percent of the municipality's population.
Los Mochis is th ...
to Chihuahua Chihuahua may refer to:
Places
* Chihuahua (state), a Mexican state
**Chihuahua (dog), a breed of dog named after the state
**Chihuahua cheese, a type of cheese originating in the state
**Chihuahua City, the capital city of the state
**Chihuahua Mu ...
it runs through El Fuerte, Temoris, Bahuichivo, Posada Barrancas, Divisadero, and Creel, among others.
In popular culture
* The American funk groupVulfpeck
Vulfpeck is an American funk band founded in 2011 by Jack Stratton, Theo Katzman, Woody Goss and Joe Dart. The band has released four extended plays, five studio albums and a live album, having released all of their music independently. The band ...
named a song off their 2016 album (''The Beautiful Game'') "El Chepe" which features sounds of a train on a track.
Further reading
*See also
*La Entrada al PacÃfico La Entrada al PacÃfico is a trade corridor designated as "Trade Corridor 56" by the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act. The corridor is an international project between Mexico and the United States as a route from the Pacific Ocean po ...
* List of Mexican railroads
* List of named passenger trains of Mexico
References
External links
* âEl Chepe (chepe.mx)
* â
El Chepe (chepe.com.mx)
: Mexican railroad discussion and study group
How to Visit Copper Canyon by Train
Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacifico
North America Railway Hall of Fame {{DEFAULTSORT:Chihuahua al Pacifico Heritage railways in Mexico Transportation in Chihuahua (state) Transportation in Sinaloa Named passenger trains of Mexico Tourist attractions in Chihuahua (state) Tourist attractions in Sinaloa Railway companies established in 1880 1880 establishments in Mexico Railway lines opened in 1900 Railway companies disestablished in 1990 Defunct railway companies of Mexico Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México Sierra Madre Occidental