Navigate from Estación de la Sabana (Bogotá) to Zipaquirá across a span of 53km.
Scenery Highlights
Sabana de Bogotá High Plateau (2,600m above sea level) — broad flat high-altitude plain forming the backdrop of the entire outbound journey
Usaquén colonial district — 17th-century cobbled streets, Plaza de Usaquén with the Sunday flea market (Mercado de las Pulgas), and the Iglesia de Santa Bárbara
Urban-to-rural transition — the dramatic shift from central Bogotá's chaotic 10-million-person urban sprawl to the open green Cundinamarca countryside within 15 minutes of departure
Cundinamarca dairy pasture and Eucalyptus windbreaks — the gentle agricultural landscape between Cajicá and Zipaquirá
Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral — the world-famous underground cathedral carved into halite at the end of the line, with the central dome standing 23 m wide and 11 m tall entirely in salt
Plaza de los Comuneros — Zipaquirá's colonial main square featuring the 17th-century Iglesia de la Merced and the monument to José Antonio Galán (leader of the 1781 Comuneros Revolt)
Andean plateau golden light — particularly dramatic on clear mornings from September to February when the Eastern Andean Cordillera silhouettes frame the horizon
Eastern Andean foothills — visible to the east after passing Cajicá; the steep Páramo de Guerrero highlands at 3,800m mark the boundary with the Chingaza National Natural Park
Steam locomotives (restored Baldwin-built units including Nos. 75 and 76, originally delivered to Ferrocarriles Nacionales de Colombia in the 1940s; supplemented by a small fleet of ALCO/EMD diesel backup units for charter and shoulder-season service)
Track Gauge
914 mm (3 ft) — Colombian national narrow gauge (Ferrocarril del Norte)
Braking Technology
Traditional steam-locomotive Westinghouse-style air brakes on the engine + hand brakes on each wooden-bodied passenger coach
Route Engineering Challenges
High-altitude operation at 2,600 m affecting steam-locomotive combustion efficiency (thinner air requires careful fuel/air mixture tuning)
914 mm (3 ft) narrow-gauge track inherited from the original 1891 Bogotá Northern Railway, limiting rolling-stock interchange with the standard-gauge Ferrocarril del Atlántico
Urban departure from central Bogotá requiring careful scheduling around vehicular traffic on Carrera 18 and the Estación de la Sabana plaza
Salt-mining subsidence risk along the final 5 km approaching Zipaquirá — the line passes above old halite-mine galleries requiring ongoing geological monitoring
Limited spare-parts availability for 1940s-era Baldwin steam locomotives — most repairs are fabricated in-house at the Turistren workshop using CNC-machined replacements
Seasonal Páramos water-table variation during April-May and October-November rainy seasons occasionally causes track-ballast instability requiring speed restrictions
Vintage 1960s wooden coach bodies require ongoing anti-termite treatment and weatherproofing given Bogotá's humidity cycles
Track Age
Original construction 1889-1891 (first 8 km), extended to Zipaquirá 1909; relaunched for tourism 2014 after community-led preservation
Route Gradient
Gradual climb from Bogotá (2,640 m) to Zipaquirá (2,580 m) — overall net descent of ~60 m with intermediate undulations through Cundinamarca plateau
Carriage Type
Vintage 1960s Ferrocarril de la Sabana-liveried wooden-bodied passenger coaches with crimson-and-cream paint, brass fittings, and bench seating
Locomotive Builder
Baldwin Locomotive Works, Philadelphia (Nos. 75, 76, and 3 other restored units), built 1940s
Max Speed
Approximately 40 km/h on level track, reduced to 15-20 km/h on urban approaches to Bogotá and Zipaquirá
Service Pattern
Weekend-only (Sat, Sun, Colombian national holidays); special mid-week charters for school and corporate groups of 80+
Currency
Colombian Peso (COP); ~1 USD = ~4,000 COP (2026 rates); cards not reliably accepted onboard — bring COP cash for cafeteria car
Languages
Spanish primary; English commentary available on private charter or groups of 30+ on advance request
Train Type
Heritage narrow-gauge steam excursion with cafeteria car and onboard Papayera brass band
Round-Trip Distance
106 km (53 km Bogotá ↔ Zipaquirá out-and-back)
Schedule Type
Day excursion (no overnight) — ~8.5h end-to-end including 4h30m Zipaquirá stop
Status
Active — relaunched 2014 by Turistren Ltda with support from the Fundación Amigos del Tren heritage-railway preservation society