Tren Ecuador
Your guide to the Trans-Andean Railway of Ecuador — the historic Quito-to-Durán line, the legendary Devil’s Nose and the tourist routes of Ecuador’s railway. Routes, stations, schedules, fares, a map and a route planner.
Service monitoring
Ecuador Train status
Service status · updated in real time
Nariz del Diablo · Alausí – Sibambe
Tren de la Libertad · Ibarra – Salinas
Tren Crucero · Quito – Durán
Avenida de los Volcanes · Quito – Latacunga
Tren del Hielo · Riobamba – Urbina
Sendero de los Ancestros · Riobamba – Colta
Tren de la Dulzura · Durán – Yaguachi
Baños del Inca · El Tambo – Coyoctor
8
Tourist routes
23
Stations
452 km
Quito – Durán
1908
Opened
Welcome to Tren Ecuador
The Trans-Andean Railway of Ecuador is one of the most astonishing feats of engineering in the Americas: a line that climbs from the coastal tropics of Durán (across from Guayaquil) up to the Andes at Quito, cresting 3,609 m at Urbina and descending the dizzying Devil’s Nose. Opened in 1908 and championed by Eloy Alfaro, it was declared cultural heritage and came back to life as a tourist attraction under the Tren Ecuador brand. Here we bring together its routes, stations, schedules, fares and a map of the whole network.
National service suspended since 2020 (Ferrocarriles del Ecuador, FEEP, in liquidation). Today only municipally-run segments are operating: the Devil's Nose (Alausí–Sibambe) and the Ibarra–Andrade Marín segment of the Freedom Train. The other routes are kept here as heritage, with historical data.
The routes of Ecuador's railway
Tren Ecuador ran around a dozen tourist routes along the Trans-Andean Railway. Today the Devil’s Nose is running again; the rest are preserved here as heritage.
Tren Crucero
HistoricalQuito (Chimbacalle) ↔ Durán (Guayaquil)
The great crossing of the Andes, from the highlands to the sea.
Devil's Nose (Nariz del Diablo)
RunningAlausí ↔ Sibambe (Chimborazo)
The most spectacular zigzag of the Ecuadorian railway.
Train of the Volcanoes
HistoricalQuito (Chimbacalle) ↔ El Boliche
The Avenue of the Volcanoes from the train window.
Freedom Train (Tren de la Libertad)
PartialIbarra ↔ Salinas (Imbabura)
Tunnels, bridges and the Afro-Ecuadorian Chota valley.
Ice Train (Tren del Hielo)
HistoricalRiobamba ↔ Urbina (Chimborazo)
To the highest point of the line, at the foot of Chimborazo.
Trail of the Ancestors
HistoricalRiobamba ↔ Colta (Chimborazo)
Andean wisdom and the Colta lagoon.
Train of Sweetness (Tren de la Dulzura)
HistoricalDurán ↔ Bucay (Guayas)
Cocoa, sugar cane and rice fields of the Guayas plain.
Inca Baths (Baños del Inca)
HistoricalEl Tambo ↔ Coyoctor (Cañar)
To the Cañari–Inca archaeological complex of Coyoctor.
The main line: Quito ↔ Durán
The 15 stations of the Tren Crucero, from the highlands to the sea. The other routes are segments of this axis or branches of the network.
Tren Crucero
Featured routes
The most iconic experiences on Ecuador’s railway.
Devil's Nose (Nariz del Diablo)
The most spectacular zigzag of the Ecuadorian railway.
Tren Crucero
The great crossing of the Andes, from the highlands to the sea.
Freedom Train (Tren de la Libertad)
Tunnels, bridges and the Afro-Ecuadorian Chota valley.
Ice Train (Tren del Hielo)
To the highest point of the line, at the foot of Chimborazo.
Plan your train journey
Pick an origin and a destination and find out which Trans-Andean Railway route connects them, the travel time and the distance.
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We update trenecuador.org as soon as there is news: route reopenings, schedules and fares for the segments still running, and updates on Ecuador's railway heritage. Save it and come back before planning your train trip.