Ice Train (Tren del Hielo)
To the highest point of the line, at the foot of Chimborazo. Riobamba ↔ Urbina (Chimborazo).
2
Stations
≈ 25 km
Route length
≈ 6 h 30 min
Duration
Service suspended
Service status
Ice Train (Tren del Hielo) · Riobamba ↔ Urbina
The Ice Train (Tren del Hielo) is one of the tourist routes of the Trans-Andean Railway of Ecuador, on the Riobamba ↔ Urbina (Chimborazo) stretch. To the highest point of the line, at the foot of Chimborazo. This route is part of the heritage of the Trans-Andean Railway and its service is currently suspended; the information is historical.
It covers roughly ≈ 25 km between Riobamba and Urbina, with a duration of ≈ 6 h 30 min. What makes it special:
- Climbs to Urbina (3,609 m), the highest point of the railway
- Views of Chimborazo, the highest mountain in Ecuador
- Meet Baltazar Ushca, the last ice merchant of Chimborazo
- Historical variant Ice Train II: Ambato–Cevallos–Mocha–Urbina
The 2 stations
Times between stations
| From | To | Approx. run | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riobamba | → | Urbina | 55 min |
Approximate running times. Riobamba ↔ Urbina: 55 min of running time (the tourist trip included stops and excursions).
Schedule and fare
Did you know…?
- Climbs to Urbina (3,609 m), the highest point of the railway
- Views of Chimborazo, the highest mountain in Ecuador
- Meet Baltazar Ushca, the last ice merchant of Chimborazo
- Historical variant Ice Train II: Ambato–Cevallos–Mocha–Urbina
Links and connections
The Ice Train (Tren del Hielo) runs along the Riobamba ↔ Urbina (Chimborazo) stretch, in the heart of the Trans-Andean Railway. Its stations are linked by road to Ecuador’s main cities, which makes it easy to reach the train’s starting point.
Interchange stations. This route shares stations with other railway routes: Riobamba connects to Tren Crucero, Trail of the Ancestors; Urbina connects to Tren Crucero.
Plan your journey — use our route planner to see which route connects two stations, the travel time and the distance.
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