Rainforest Ecological Train
|
Train at Cataratas Station. | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Light |
| Status | Active |
| Locale | Iguazú National Park, Misiones Province |
| First service | 1995 |
| Current operator(s) | Iguazú Argentina |
| Route | |
| Start | Central |
| Stops | 1 |
| End | Garganta del Diablo |
| Distance travelled | 7 km |
| Average journey time | 20' |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 600 mm (1 ft 11 5⁄8 in) |
| Track owner(s) | Iguazú National Park |
The Rainforest Ecological Train or Waterfalls Train (Tren Ecológico de la Selva or Tren de las Cataratas) is an environmentally friendly, 600 mm (1 ft 11 5⁄8 in) narrow gauge train that runs through the forest inside Iguazú National Park in the north of the province of Misiones of Argentina.
Characteristics
The train can transport between 120 and 150 passengers over seven kilometres (nearly five miles) of track from the Visitors’ Centre up to the Cataratas (Waterfalls) Station and the Garganta del Diablo (Devil's Gorge) Station. It transports approximately 900,000 visitors yearly.
The train was built in England by the workshops of the Alan Keef Ltd company, in Ross-on-Wye, 200 kilometers to the west of London. It is painted all green and it consists of a propane locomotive pulling four opened roofed wagons with wooden seats at the sides so that the passengers have direct contact with the forest.
The laying of tracks borders along the Iguazu River and runs at speeds of no more than 20 kilometres per hour (12 mph) and stops when animals cross the railway lines, the journey takes about 20 minutes, with a "stop" at the Cataratas (Waterfalls) Station and then to the terminus Garganta del Diablo (Devil's Gorge) Station. Here you can go down and access the foot bridge, which goes to the balcony built on the edge of the huge waterfall 90 metres high called Garganta del Diablo.
Stations
- Central Station: Main terminal consisting of a commercial area, restrooms, first-aid room and Park Ranger offices.
- Cataratas (Waterfalls) Station: A square, lounge area, fast food services and restrooms. Pathways to the Lower and Upper Circuits.
- Garganta (Devil's Gorge) Station: It has a square, restrooms and fast food premises. Direct access to the Devil's Gorge walkway, which reaches balconies built over the edge of the waterfall, at 90 metres height.
See also
- Avellaneda Park Historic Train
- La Trochita
- Tren a las Nubes
- Tren de las Sierras
- List of heritage railways
- Iguazú National Park
- Iguazú Falls
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tren Ecológico de la Selva. |
- Iguazú Argentina, concessionary
- "An Ecological Alternative in the Waterfalls", Iguazú National Park
- "Tren Ecológico de la Selva", Parque Nacional Iguazú – Argentina (Spanish)
Coordinates: 25°41′03″S 54°26′56″W / 25.68417°S 54.44889°W