History of the End of the World Train

 History of the End of the World Train

The End of the World Train is undoubtedly a relic of the beginning of the century full of history that is now back as a tourist attraction to enjoy a unique and marvellous landscape. An increasingly popular excursion for those who come to Tierra del Fuego.

The story begins at the turn of the century with the construction of the prison at the end of the world, a remote and hostile place where the most dangerous prisoners lived. 

The inmates would use the train as a means of loading the materials they collected in Monte Susana, to continue with the construction of the prison. A forced labour task that was part of the daily routine in that prison at the end of the world.

 Later, towards the middle of the century, it ceased to function as a consequence of the closure of the prison under the government of the 1940s and for humanitarian reasons.

In the nineties, the train returned to its tracks, with a very different idea to the previous one. It would no longer be a goods train, a sawmill train, a train for transporting materials crossed by that grey halo that describes its past full of convicts. Instead, it began to delight a large number of passengers with a beautiful route based on tourism.

It starts at the «Estación del Fin del Mundo», a very nice place with several shops that invites you to take a walk while waiting for the little train, passing by the station «la Macarena» where you can see the waterfall, the cemetery of the trees and the impressive forest of Lengas, to finish the tour seeing the last stretch of the beautiful national park of Tierra del Fuego. 

The End of the World Train now

Nowadays, the crossing is a 7 km route where young and old can enjoy a part of the route that would be inaccessible if it were not for the train. The route is accompanied, and in parallel, by the waters of the river «Pipo», originally called Ajej, which changed its name in reference to a prisoner nicknamed Pipo, who escaped from the prison in the middle of winter. This river, which accompanies the train without rest, finally ends its journey in the Beagle Channel.

The famous train currently has two daily departures in a section that lasts approximately 1.45 hours. From the first moment you can enjoy the view and listen carefully to the history of this ride, which is divided into two sections: That of the prison at the end of the world and that of tourism. The two parts of the train's life coexist in a journey that is really a great adventure. 

The train is comfortable and suitable for all passengers who want to enjoy this experience. It has beautiful carriages and a good gastronomic service with breakfast options and delicious meals. The cost is in accordance with the panoramic view offered. A colourful fact is that the beautiful steam locomotive that hauls the rest of the train is called «Camila», named after the daughter of the original owner of the Tren del Fin del Mundo.

The locomotive gives it the appearance of a vintage train and its route, full of stories and tales of yesteryear, makes it magical in the eyes of anyone at any time of the year.

It is clearly one of the main attractions for tourists from all over the world, a must-see of the beautiful Ushuaia that gives a magical touch to the landscape becoming more picturesque every season of the year. Seeing the train appear among the snowy trees is definitely a postcard worth seeing live.