Has anyone travelled by train in Mexico?

Question

If you have I would like to know if they are efficient, comfortable, safe and cover the whole country.

Thanks

Answer 1

Hmmm...well I live in Mexico, and there are NO passenger trains that go theroughout the country.  There IS a wonderful bus service.  The buses for intercity travel run frequently, are very inexpensive, very comfortable and clean.  You can ride no a first class bus for only a couple of dollars more than the regular ones. Bus travel is the number one means of transport in Mexico.

Answer 2

There are only a few tourist trains that one could use to travel.  The Copper Canyon train is now very safe -- they have armed guards on it and there are no problems anymore with bandits -- our whole family traveled on it this past summer and it was very enjoyable.  

There is a newer "adventure" through a different part of Mexico.  This is the "Tequila Express" and I've again pasted the link below.

There is some discussion and work to improve Mexico's railroads -- check out the link to the newspaper article below for more information.

If you want to learn more about train travel through the Copper Canyon, go to the Chepe site listed below.

Answer 3

I have been reading some of the answers, and all I can say is, "Give me a break."  Do you really think that we don´t have modern forms of transportation?  We may be a third world country, but we live in houses, not huts, we drive cars, not donkeys, we study at universities, live comfortably and we have transportation that is NOT dated to the time of Porfirio Diaz and is not assaulted by bandits.  It would take a very fast and strong bandit to stop this modern train.   Jeez.  

I have added a link on traveling through Mexico by train.  I hope you enjoy the experience.  Mexico is a beautiful country.

Answer 4

Here, in Mexico, trains are exactly the oposite of what you are asking if they are.

Nobody in my country travels by train, unless who works in it.

Mexican trains are only to move products, there are no passenger trains anymore.

Look waht Charlie say.

There are only two special trains: Copper canyon in Chihuahua and Tequila express in Jalisco, but those are touristic, not for regular travel.

I'll give you an example on how bad are the trains: In certain distance going on car it will last 4 to 5 hours, but in train it last 12 to 16 hours.

Oh!... there are no bandits neither in copper canyon train nor in Tequila express; Pancho Villa and friends died in 1920's; long time ago.

Answer 5

i'm not sure what patty...whatever is talking about.  i lived in mexico and there are no trains such as amtrak.  there are some goofy tourist trains like a tequila tour and stuff like that....but you don't use them as a form of travel.  the "train" in mexico is the bus.  there are several first class companies such as ETN that will REALLY impress you.  they are fast, efficient, well priced, extremely comfortable, and safe.  you'll love em'

Answer 6

Trains in Mexico are, with some exceptions, pretty bad, not very safe and very very slow (old)

The only ones worth considering are some touristic routes, like the copper canyon and the Monterrey-Mexico route.

90% of the train infrastructure was build during Porfirio Diaz presidency, in the late 1800's

Answer 7

I have heard that the Copper Canyon Train (which granted is a special trip) sometimes is stopped by banditos in league with the folks on the train.  

Otherwise I have no information for you but I would definitely research carefully due to this potential issue.  Obviously, a high speed train cannot be stopped like that.