International Railroad Discussion > Mexico's Tehuantepic Istmus Railway

Was reading about the stations along the The Tehuantepec Isthmus Railway and it sounds pretty sketchy (American State Department workers are ordered not to go to any towns along the route due to kidnappings and other crimes). Has anyone done this trip? Anyone have any recommendations on how to do it safely?

erielackawanna Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Was reading about the stations along the The
> Tehuantepec Isthmus Railway and it sounds pretty
> sketchy (American State Department workers are
> ordered not to go to any towns along the route due
> to kidnappings and other crimes). Has anyone done
> this trip? Anyone have any recommendations on how
> to do it safely?

So which route do you want to take? Recommendation: Start in Coatzacoalcos, but do take Business class...

1. Salina Cruz and stay on a beach hotel. Really good surf. Passenger Equipment is Budd: Business Class on Amfleets or Coach on former SPV-1's, food service is offered airline style to your seats. Power: F59PH. Basically a Mexican Surfliner.

2. Pakal Na and visit the historic Palenque ruins. It will take you on BRLE Mark III coaches, these include Business and coach, now a cafe car is usually included. Power: One class 43 locomotive on each end. Basically an Intercity 125.

Do you want to stop in some stations along the way? Service is variable, basically a tourist operation if you ask me, as they post the calendar of operations in their website.

Maybe you can ride both. If you chose Pakal Na, you can ride the Maya Train from Palenque to Campeche, Merida, Valladolid, Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Chetumal and many other towns.

I rode the FIT from Coatza to Salina this spring and by that time and they were using the Intercity 125 set.
 

Geep Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> erielackawanna Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Was reading about the stations along the The
> > Tehuantepec Isthmus Railway and it sounds
> pretty
> > sketchy (American State Department workers are
> > ordered not to go to any towns along the route
> due
> > to kidnappings and other crimes). Has anyone
> done
> > this trip? Anyone have any recommendations on
> how
> > to do it safely?
>
> So which route do you want to take?
> Recommendation: Start in Coatzacoalcos, but do
> take Business class...
>
> 1. Salina Cruz and stay on a beach hotel. Really
> good surf. Passenger Equipment is Budd: Business
> Class on Amfleets or Coach on former SPV-1's, food
> service is offered airline style to your seats.
> Power: F59PH. Basically a Mexican Surfliner.
>
> 2. Pakal Na and visit the historic Palenque ruins.
> It will take you on BRLE Mark III coaches, these
> include Business and coach, now a cafe car is
> usually included. Power: One class 43 locomotive
> on each end. Basically an Intercity 125.
>
> Do you want to stop in some stations along the
> way? Service is variable, basically a tourist
> operation if you ask me, as they post the calendar
> of operations in their website.
>
> Maybe you can ride both. If you chose Pakal Na,
> you can ride the Maya Train from Palenque to
> Campeche, Merida, Valladolid, Cancun, Playa del
> Carmen, Tulum, Chetumal and many other towns.
>
> I rode the FIT from Coatza to Salina this spring
> and by that time and they were using the Intercity
> 125 set.
>  

Thank you so much for all this great information!  I had a friend who went down there recently too. He convinced me I am better off waiting until there are more trains running than there are today.

Great to see how the Coatzacoalcos - Palenque line has been upgraded.  I rode this line on a family vacation in 1973 in a Merida-Mexico City sleeper, with poor track, 25mph speeds, and the feeling the line would not be there much longer.  How wonderful to see that 51 years later the line is in perhaps its best shape ever and with the best service ever, and that it connects to new lines in the Yucatan that expand the contiguous North American railway network.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/22/24 06:36 by LTCerny.