“The End of the World Train” or “The Prison Train”? Let’s Look at the Southernmost Train in the World and Its Unique History!
Are you ready for an experience in the “The End of the World Train”? Sometimes touristic spots have a whole different backstory and surprise us. “The End of the World Train” is a marvelous experience with the beautiful views you can see on the route, but it is also a unique experience because of its early purpose of usage. Although the use of the train is for touristic purposes today, the main reason for its construction is based on many different points.
The train is an indispensable opportunity for those who love train travel. “The End of the World Train” is the southernmost railway in the world. It brings attention from train travelers but also the history lovers. The train is located in Argentina, and the railway starts 8 km away from Ushuaia. The visitors travel by the steam train all the way through. It passes through the protected Tierra del Fuego National Park and serves you the fascinating glacial views of the Pipo River Valley and the Southern Andes. The route ends at the Estacion del Parque. After enjoying the train part of this experience, you can discover the area by walking and learn more about the culture.
But, why do they build a train in the southernmost spot in the world? Even there was not any civilization at its arrival point. The train was created to transport the workers who were forced to work in the inner parts of the forest and to transport the felled trees to the coastal areas. By the end of the 19th century, the intended use of the train became even more different.
Argentine authorities used the train to transport prisoners to the penal colony they set up at the southern tip of South America. The primary purpose here is to carry the prisoners as far away from civilization as possible and punish them. The city of Ushuaia was founded for this reason. The buildings in the town were built with the timber they obtained from the surrounding forests and by the prisoners who were sent to this region.
In 1947, the use of the prison building was changed, and it was converted into a naval base. Then, due to the earthquake in 1952, the train line was damaged and was not used until 1994. It was reopened in 1994 since some regions in the National Park are only accessible via this train line and due to the tourists’ intense interest. The train line is still referred to as the “Prisoner Train”, no matter how different and distant from its use.
There is no recommended time frame to make this trip. You can experience this experience in any season of the year. The route takes an average of 1 hour, but there are plenty of tours that include other spots in the area. The tickets only for the train are approximately 40-50 dollars. Ushuaia Museo del Presidio, Canadon del Toro, and Cascada La Macarena Waterfall are some of the worth-see spots on the route and may interest you.
Tip!
If you want to get the most out of this train journey and travel consciously, we strongly recommend visiting the Prison Museum first. In this way, you can learn about the national park and the railway while listening to the memories of the exile life.
