[Music] with 220 miles of track 37 bridges 86 tons and more than a hundred years in the making the Chihuahua Pacifica railway or el chepe for short is a spectacular trip through the great Copper Canyon region holy cow look at that [Music] we'll meet the people who live and work along this very special train line I love Japan I love to travel in each other and they love the war with each other and will travel from mountain to ocean in just one day it doesn't get any better than that it really doesn't this is no ordinary railway journey this is one of the most scenic railway journeys in the world Mexico [Music] [Music] sunrise at the tiny station of Creole Mexico's highest station a hundred miles southwest of the city of Chihuahua this morning we are joining these sleepy passengers on a voyage of discovery through some of the most startling scenery on earth on a very special train known affectionately as El check [Applause] the Train manager Moritz CEO each new day brings new challenges every trip every journey is a new adventure new passengers new people so it's an adventure it's so proud to work for it yeah three minutes and with all our nine and a half hour journey starts the mountain top town of creel from here we head into the Tara Mara mountains to our first stop at Divisadero it is here we enter the spectacular Copper Canyon region after stopping at Barton t-bone and passing through timorous the train descends into the deepest canyon in North America the rekey Canyon entering the vast agricultural plains of Sinaloa our next stop is el fuerte after 220 miles we arrive at our destination los mochis the Gateway to the Pacific Ocean let's go [Music] with three classes first executive and tourist and capable of carrying 340 passengers El Chapo is Mexico's answer to the Orient Express it has six carriages a bar a restaurant that doubles as the observation car and a viewing terrace and at 7:00 a.m. in the morning breakfast service is in full swing train manager maritza has worked on el chefe for seven years this is my job I love it and I'm very proud to fish everybody and to show everybody to come and make the trip of their lives enjoyable I love chopper I love travelling each other and I love to work for Baltimore resident Jerry taking this train trip through Mexico is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream it's just always been on my bucket list of trains to try and ride it kind of the stuff of dreams for a rail fan train nerd rail freak you know you name it somehow it got in my blood as a young kid I don't come from a train town and I even got married on the train [Music] also on the train today is someone who has had a long-standing love affair with El Chapo for many years my name is Pedro Palma I'm a native of Copper Canyon and I've been riding this train for the last 39 years it's one of the top ten train rides in the world we are about to enter the first major stage of our journey a dramatic landscape known as the Terra Mara mountains formed by volcanic eruptions as part of the Mexican plateau as far back as a hundred and thirty million years ago and sitting at seven thousand 380 feet above sea level they dominate the surrounding landscape the first part of the route from creel to Divisadero covers a distance of only 20 miles but because of the extreme winding of the track it will take us two hours there are no major roads through this inhospitable terrain the only way to view this wild and dramatic scenery is from the carriage of a train these difficult to reach canyons of perfect hiding places when the Spanish invaded in the sixteenth century the indigenous people the Terra mara retreated and still live here to this day as local guide Enric a explains this is my people this is my culture is that rare amore people the good runners this cloistered community of around 50,000 folk call themselves the rah-rah miri the people of the swiftly running feet because they have a quite astonishing skill before the railway arrived the only way the different tribes could communicate with each other was on foot so the Rara Marie developed the ability to run between villages sometimes for hundreds of hours without stopping this incredible skill was even incorporated into a game this is called Roger Perry played by two or four players each team member kicks a wooden ball ahead of himself in relay the winner is the team that gets to the finish line first sounds simple enough however with the finish line often hundreds of miles away this game can go on for days without a break rope a traditional dependent muchos de lugar donde Witten Cara comunidad en una forma de de Bastille no todos own iguales tambien dependiendo los colores sisyphic on a Estrin color assume poco Matis au Suisun de alta taro mara en premise bajas lil colores mess for kumasi ghana but it isn't just the men [Music] the women can easily give the men around the Terramax retreat running as a fine art something to be learned slowly and perfected over a lifetime [Music] for them this is definitely a marathon not a sprint [Music] as our train weaves its way through the taromaru mountains our journey is about to enter a new landscape the astonishing Copper Canyon one of the greatest geological wonders of the world [Music] we're traveling on one of the world's most scenic railway journeys through the stunning landscape of northern Mexico the Copper Canyon region [Music] it is a landscape and a train that has been familiar to el chepe fan Pedro for many years I first started riding this train when I was 17 years old I wrote it when my grandfather at that moment I I tell myself I want to find out how I can stay riding this train so I started being a tour guide and ever since I can stay on this train whatever on this stage of the journey we are about to enter a part of the country Pedro knows very well the Copper Canyon surprisingly this area is not mined for copper but for silver and gold the name of the area comes from the verdict recolor of the lichen covered Rock Copper Canyon is actually six separate yet coned gorges the combined lengths of all these make it four times larger than the Grand Canyon in the United States [Music] local tour guide Gustavo first came to this region over 25 years ago it is something like 24,000 square miles is perhaps the largest system of canyons in the world [Music] and the one right behind me this is the Rika Canyon [Music] the Tara Mara people believe these canyons were created by the feet of giants the less poetic reality is that these spectacular mountains were formed from layers of volcanic lava and ash laid down around 40 million years ago and then this yearís of a tectonic and volcanic phenomenas happened to build up all this beautiful land and landscape and mountains and canyons since then River erosion has carved this network of valleys into what you see today [Music] this dramatic railway line was originally built to connect the Gulf of Mexico in the East with the Pacific Ocean in the West after much political wrangling this challenging project began work in 1861 traveling on the train today is Ra's al Vidal garden she has worked for el chepe for almost two decades and knows its history the construction it took over a hundred years we have over 200 kilometres of mountains so it took years to construct it and finally in 1940 the Mexican government took over we had a revolution in the middle of these hundred years so it took ten years approximately what they stopped constructing delayed by revolution financial difficulties and politics the line was continued piecemeal before eventually being completed in 1961 over the century taken the cost of construction was 19 million dollars el chepe is now two hours into its journey and as the train weaves its way around this majestic landscape it is time for it to pull into our first station Divisadero whose name means lookout or viewpoint is exactly that [Music] perched at an altitude of 8200 feet it is known as Mexico's most panoramic station and with this view one can see one [Music] apart from the station the only other things that exist on this platter are the small hotel under chemical [Music] created to give a panoramic view of the union of two canyons the Terra rikuo and the Ariki it will take ten minutes to cross [Music] and if the cable car isn't exciting enough for you at over one and a half miles in length this is the longest zip wire in the world [Applause] [Music] however after that adrenaline rush getting back we'll take a little longer but the spectacular views more than make up for it with our feet now firmly back on terra firma it's time to get back onto the train [Music] so far our adventure has been a journey of extremes with sky-high peaks and deep mysterious valleys and a head is no exception Wow as we leave Divisadero el chepe will be travelling at around 50 miles per hour to our next stop but who Ichiro it's a journey of just 28 miles but will dramatically descend 370 feet into another breathtaking geological Wonderland the train is about to enter into the rocky canyon the deepest Canyon in North America the el chepe train is now three and a half hours into its journey from mountain to ocean in one day traveling on a track gauge of four feet eight and a half inches the engine pulling el chefe is an EMD sd70 series diesel-electric locomotive with an overall length of 72 feet and four inches at a hundred and twenty tons this is a 4,500 horsepower 16 cylinder beast of an injury the landscape is amazing training amazing so far we have come 65 miles and as our train weaves its way across the sierra madre the passengers on board can take in the sheer beauty of the canyon system and for Jerry crossing the la-la-la bridge is a dream come true holy cow look at that [Music] that for the guardrails [Music] the smoke is still coming out of the tunnel it's just phenomenal I mean the tunnel coming right in today right into the bridge I mean it doesn't get any better than that it really doesn't or maybe it will I don't know on this train you know every corner is a new surprise is a new WoW moment so unbelievable cut by hand and blasted from the rock by dynamite these tunnels are a monumental feat of Engineering [Music] it is here on the cool of the high canyon edge that our passengers can peer down at one of the richest and most diverse ecosystems in the world it is a world that can be accessed at our second stop bahu each even a small town of 1,300 people that has grown up around the railway [Music] around a mile or so from the station is the astonishing wiki Canyon at 6,200 feet from the rim to River it is the deepest Canyon in North America and it is here that you can experience this diverse ecosystem [Music] over a drive of three hours from top to bottom with pine and oak forests at the crest as you descend to the canyon floor the temperature goes up and the area becomes more humid [Music] Orlando is one of the locals here he is zipping through the Eureka Canyon to visit a friend who is producing a drink for an upcoming festival [Music] right now we are in whopper wine deepest place of the unique you can [Music] there's a magical place is really amazing they can you need abuse the people are really friendly I love it I came to visit my friend Bruin Bruin making Panola that is made out of corn they're having a festival of this weekend so that's why they are making Pinot Pinot lei is a drink made from ground corn water and spices corn is a crop that grows well in the heat of this valley but would not thrive where the railway runs at the top they are very different climates my friend is a farmer you know he grows corn beans and here I also have a lot of fruit trees like banana mango trees orange trees a lot of fruits they only grow here [Music] and then you said oh you can get like two degrees and here is right now is like a twenty degrees so that's a huge difference it is a secret place for us because almost nobody knows about this community is a poor patent card okay so I'm a mujeres it's time to leave Ricky and head further into the canyon system [Music] [Music] on board el chefe it's totally gourmet chef Raleigh is cooking up a smoky storm in the galley kitchen PS empathy OTP co-protagonist well visit our first atomic analogy on the kalanoro yesterday linda making the menu for today is grilled ribeye steak with roasted cactus and onions guacamole and a spicy salsa cooking in these cramped conditions coupled with being constantly on the move are not ideal situations for any show but you'll not hear any complaints from Jerry and if they fancy a glass of wine with lunch from their seats our passengers can peer down into the valley below we're just 11 miles outside bahu achieve Oh some of Mexico's best wine is made quality control is only one of the responsibilities of local winemaker Bernardo he owns a hotel and vineyard in the town of Serak are we and tells a fascinating story of survival this church is a yes with mission dates back from the 1780s he was erected by the Jesuit fathers who came and founded this town of Sara Cowen the settlers here soon realized that as well as food the climate was also perfect for the production of wine these mines that descendant back on the Jesuits came here in the 1780 so they came they they had their own vines because you know remember they have to make their own wine the king of Spain he found out and the whole continent it was a very good tool making one so he saw that as a threat to the his economies so he prohibited in America the growing of the grapevines and also he expelled the Jesuits King Charles the third concerned that the Jesuits had acquired too much wealth and influence and were a bit too good at making the local red expelled them from the area the Mexican vineyards fell into ruin however the vines survived when we opened the hotel back in 1975 the gardener of the hotel he came in with his small buys he says do you know they are biased from the old Jesuits we know that so we start with planting them now 45 years later Bernardo has five hectares of vines and produces one of the finest wines in the country so it's a long story was a beautiful story everything related with wine is beautiful [Music] it's time to climb back on board our train as el chepe is reaching the end of the canyon system at timorous we are in timorous [Music] timorous is special because here we have the opening of the chapel in the 1961 one train comes from Chihuahua where the train comes from Limoges and they meet here in order to in our eight the Chihuahua al Pacific Railroad on the 24th of November 1961 the Los Mochis line from the South met and joined up with the line from Chihuahua in the north for the very first time the historic moment was celebrated by President Adolfo Lopez Mateos with the building of a plaque to commemorate the day after a hundred years of construction the Chihuahua Pacifico railroad was finally complete and it is here that the train was quickly descends 700 feet from the mountain down to sea level this is three levels of drugs are with us we will start from the third one the highest we are not the second one and we call it a descent for the first one to lose height quickly el chepe must enter the timorous loop it is an astonishing piece of Mexican engineering as our train enters Lapera tunnel it will travel through a hundred and eighty degrees while descending 100 feet inside the mountain as it leaves the train will enter another extreme Bend this time crossing the santa barbara bridge before curving once more down to the valley floor [Music] [Music] the train enters the Lapera tunnel which incredibly is half a mile long while below the local tourist train is coming from the other direction [Music] as it switches back on itself and exits the tunnel el chepe meets its opposite number at this historic crossing as this is a single track line one must wait for the other to pass and now we are meeting the original the other popular train that goes to Chihuahua so this is named Reginald turista we have two classes the yellow one is a regional tourist and the red one is the economy class [Music] and if carving a hundred and eighty degree tunnel through solid rock wasn't enough the Mexican engineers had a further challenge constructing the extraordinary Santa Barbara bridge across the river September [Music] to make the most of this moment the driver slows down [Music] Wow [Music] [Music] exiting the canyon system el chepe now antes a whole new world our train is now heading out onto the plains of Sinaloan where we will reach our destination of los mochis the Gateway to the Pacific it is now 1 p.m. in the afternoon and el chepe is speeding towards the ocean after leaving timorous our train enters the western state of Sinaloa and travels 82 miles to our penultimate station Alpharetta then it is nonstop to our destination los mochis [Music] before it leaves the mountains behind for good there are two final challenges for the Train [Music] the first is the crossing of the chinna pass bridge completed in 1961 two concrete piers support a three span steel truss that is almost a thousand feet in length and 335 feet high it is the highest proof on the line although originally built over a dry Gorge the lower half of the bridge is now submerged in a reservoir named the Chinna Paz River in honor of the construction above I mean look at it look at it unbelievable [Music] no sooner is el chepe across the river than it passes into tunnel 86 [Music] it is the last and longest tunnel on the journey [Music] [Music] at a mile and a quarter in length that takes over two minutes to pass through [Music] once on the other side the landscape takes on a very different personality [Music] the mountains are now a distant memory replaced by a fertile Mexican landscape this is considered one of the richest Valley in Mexico this is the state of Sinaloa although famous historically is a stronghold of Mexico's drug cartels these flat lands are also renowned as Mexico's breadbasket this irrigated plain produces much of the country's wheat corn tomatoes and cotton and is one of the richest agricultural regions on earth the things that you go by and you see all aspects of the community people alongside the tracks people working in the agricultural and industry that's what makes this unique it's not just made for tourists it's kind of the stuff of dreams for a rail fan the views here are broad and open and very different from those seen in Copper Canyon although some find them more interesting than others the only way to come across a Sierra is the Train it's great to be able to ride the train able to meet a lot of nice people from all over the world [Music] [Music] it is here that the train pulls into our penultimate stop on our journey Alpharetta [Music] founded in 1563 by the Spanish conquest adorn Francisco de Barra for three centuries el fuerte was the most important commercial and agricultural center of the vast northwestern region of Mexico [Music] this is a traditional Mexican city surrounded by an area steeped in ancient mythology [Music] as you step out of town it is like stepping back in time the railroad cuts straight through the territory of an ancient indigenous people known as the Ouray me or lost miles some 40,000 mile live in this region still maintaining their traditional way of life this is Jose Luis Varma's as well as being a healer Jose is also amongst a musician as local resident Adrian explains he is a very respected musician and also is one of the last dear dancers and also their grandsons are very very good musicians they play the traditional instruments an important part of the Mayan culture is the performance of the traditional deer dance the deer is considered a sacred animal that used to be in giving a support to the people in the Indian Indian tribe [Music] he says that he feels like he is the beer he feels the strain he feels the the that that he is dancing like a real enemy fortunately no deer were hurt in the demonstration of this dance after taking a step into the past it is time for the train to re-enter the 21st century [Music] we are now on the final leg el chepe will now rush to the sea where it will complete its journey from mountain to ocean we've got a phenomenal phenomenal day we're already planning to come back on board Mauricio and his crew are coming to the end of a long day today was a very good day he was the weather was wonderful most of the people were very happy and the staff also was very very happy with with the people because they were very friendly today was very calm very relaxed after 9 hours on their feet it is time for Mauricio and the team to relax a little myself and I were gonna rest for today's and on Friday we are gonna be ready again to give the people this journey and to be ambassadors of Mexico in this trip of the Copper Canyon in the chapter express it's 6 p.m. an el chepe is reaching the end of the line los mochis on behalf of the trip Express Emperor max we thank you for traveling with us we hope you enjoyed the trip [Music] [Applause] los mochis is the final stop for the Chihuahua Pacifico railroad [Music] and for Gerry railfan and Trane nerd it is the fulfillment of a lifelong ambition if you like trains you won't be disappointed not at all [Music] we have now reached the beach at my very and the Pacific Ocean and our journey has come to an end time is a fickle mistress but today we have taken plenty of it to explore the incredible landscape of northern Mexico we have marveled at the splendor of the Copper Canyon run into a little known secret civilization [Music] and claw read in the joy of traveling from mountain to ocean in just one day [Music] the Chihuahua Pacifico Express affectionately known as el chato is one of the great train journeys of Mexico and the world [Music]
