Ecuador - Cultural Itinerary of Ecuador's Trans-Andean Train

The Trans-Andean railroad is a unique railway, narrow-gauge (106.7 cm), 450 km long, built beginning in 1873 and, with the decided backing of the Liberal Revolution led by Eloy Alfaro, completed and inaugurated in 1908, crossing through five provinces in Ecuador’s Highlands and Coast, with widely varied climatic zones, including primary forests. Set within a complex geography crossing through different ecosystems, from the coastal plains up to the lofty summits of the Andes, the railroad unites and integrates two of the country’s most important geographical regions. For several decades, it was the fundamental driver for economic, social and political development and for cultural exchange. Most of its route crosses over the Andes range, which influenced the construction of a complicated layout that earned the name of the “world’s most difficult train” because of the human, technical and material efforts required to build it.