Route plannerESEN

Train of the Volcanoes

The Avenue of the Volcanoes from the train window. Quito (Chimbacalle) ↔ El Boliche.

4

Stations

≈ 60 km

Route length

Full day (8–9 h)

Duration

Service suspended

Service status

Service suspended — historical data

Train of the Volcanoes · Chimbacalle ↔ El Boliche

The Train of the Volcanoes is one of the tourist routes of the Trans-Andean Railway of Ecuador, on the Quito (Chimbacalle) ↔ El Boliche stretch. The Avenue of the Volcanoes from the train window. 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 ≈ 60 km between Chimbacalle and El Boliche, with a duration of Full day (8–9 h). What makes it special:

  • Panoramic views of Pichincha, Cotopaxi and Rumiñahui
  • Reaches El Boliche, next to Cotopaxi National Park
  • Crosses the legendary “Avenue of the Volcanoes”
  • Historical variants: Machachi Festivo and Camino al Boliche

The 4 stations

Train of the Volcanoes

El BolicheTerminal

Times between stations

FromToApprox. run
ChimbacalleTambillo35 min
TambilloMachachi30 min
MachachiEl Boliche40 min

Approximate running times. Chimbacalle ↔ El Boliche: 1 h 45 min of running time (the tourist trip included stops and excursions).

Schedule and fare

StatusService suspended (since 2020)
DaysHistorically weekends and public holidays
DeparturesMorning departure from Chimbacalle
FareHistorical: ~$33–$45 per person (full day)
ServiceTourist carriage

Did you know…?

  • Panoramic views of Pichincha, Cotopaxi and Rumiñahui
  • Reaches El Boliche, next to Cotopaxi National Park
  • Crosses the legendary “Avenue of the Volcanoes”
  • Historical variants: Machachi Festivo and Camino al Boliche

Links and connections

The Train of the Volcanoes runs along the Quito (Chimbacalle) ↔ El Boliche 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: Chimbacalle connects to Tren Crucero; Machachi connects to Tren Crucero.

Plan your journey — use our route planner to see which route connects two stations, the travel time and the distance.

Please note. Ecuador's national railway service has been suspended since 2020 (Ferrocarriles del Ecuador, FEEP, in liquidation). In 2025 two segments were restarted under municipal management: the Devil's Nose (Alausí–Sibambe) and Ibarra–Andrade Marín. The other routes, schedules and fares on this site are historical, for information and heritage purposes and subject to change. Always confirm availability before planning a trip.
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Frequently asked questions

The national Tren Ecuador service has been suspended since 2020 (FEEP in liquidation), so this route does not run regularly. The information you see is historical and heritage-related. The only route confirmed to be running today is the Devil’s Nose.
It links Chimbacalle and El Boliche (Quito (Chimbacalle) ↔ El Boliche), about ≈ 60 km, with a duration of Full day (8–9 h).
Historical: ~$33–$45 per person (full day). See the fares page for the details.
This route has 4 stations. You can see them all, with a link to each one, in the diagram on this page.

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