Original subtitles

With 220 miles of track...

..37 bridges, 86 tunnels

and more than 100 years in the making...

..the Chihuahua Pacifico Railway - or El Chepe for short -

is a spectacular trip through the great Copper Canyon region.

Holy cow! Look at that!

We'll meet the people who live and work along this very special

train line... I love Chepe.

I to love travel in the Chepe and I love to work in the Chepe.

..and we'll 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.

Sunrise at the tiny station of Creel, Mexico's highest station...

..100 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 Chepe".

Welcome aboard.

For train manager Mauricio, each new day brings new challenges.

Every trip, every journey is a new adventure, new passengers

new people, so it's an adventure.

I'm so proud to work for it.

Yeah, three minutes and we go.

Our nine-and-a-half-hour journey starts at the mountaintop town

of Creel.

From here, we head into the Tarahumara Mountains to our first

stop at Divisadero.

It is here we enter the spectacular Copper Canyon region.

After stopping at Bahuichivo and passing through Temoris,

the train descends into the deepest canyon in North America -

the Urique 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.

TRAIN HORN BLARES

With three classes - first, executive and tourist - and capable

of carrying 340 passengers,

El Chepe 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 7am in the morning,

breakfast service is in full swing.

Train manager Mauricio, who has worked on El Chepe

for seven years.

This is my job. I love it,

and I'm very proud to teach everybody and to show everybody

to come and make the trip of their lives enjoyable.

I love Chepe.

I love to travel in the Chepe and I love to work in the Chepe.

For Baltimore resident Jerry, taking this train trip through Mexico

is the fulfilment of a lifelong dream.

It's just always been on my bucket list of trains to try and ride in.

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.

TRAIN HORN BLARES

Also on the train today is someone who has had a longstanding love

affair with El Chepe 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 Tarahumara Mountains.

Formed by volcanic eruptions as part of the Mexican Plateau as far back

as 130 million years ago, and sitting at 7,380 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 are perfect hiding places.

When the Spanish invaded in the 16th century, the indigenous people,

the Tarahumara, retreated here...

..and still live here to this day, as local guide Enrique explains.

This is my people. This is my culture.

It's the Raramuri people.

They're good runners.

This cloistered community of around 50,000 folk called

themselves the Raramuri -

"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 Raramuri 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 rarajipari.

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.

TRANSLATION:

But it isn't just the men who have all the fun.

The women can easily give the men a run for their money.

The Tarahumara treat running as a fine art - something

to be learned slowly and perfected over a lifetime.

For them, this is definitely a marathon and not a sprint.

As our train weaves its way through the Tarahumara Mountains,

our journey is about to enter a new landscape...

..the astonishing Copper Canyon -

one of the greatest geological wonders of the world.

We're travelling on one of the world's most scenic railway

journeys, through the stunning landscape of northern Mexico -

the Copper Canyon region.

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 rode it with 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 forever.

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 verdigris colour

of the lichen-covered rock.

Copper Canyon is actually six separate yet co-joined gorges.

The combined lengths of all these make it four times larger

than the Grand Canyon in the United States.

Local tour guide Gustavo first came to this region over 25 years ago.

It is something like 24,000 square miles.

It's perhaps the largest system of canyons in the world.

And the one right behind me,

this is the Urique Canyon.

The Tarahumara 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 series of tectonic and volcanic phenomena happened

to build up all this, a beautiful landscape and mountains and canyons.

Since then, river erosion has carved this network of valleys

into what you see today.

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.

Travelling on the train today is Rosalvo Delgado.

She has worked for El Chepe for almost two decades

and knows its history.

The construction, it took over 100 years.

We have over 200km of mountains,

so it took years to construct it.

And finally, 1940, the Mexican government took over.

We had the Revolution in the middle of these hundred years,

so it took ten years, approximately,

when 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 $90 million.

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

in to our first station.

Divisadero - whose name means "lookout" or "viewpoint" -

is exactly that.

Perched at an altitude of 8,200 feet, it is known as Mexico's

most panoramic station.

And with this view, one can see why.

Apart from the station, the only other things that exist

on this plateau are the small hotel...

..and a cable car.

Created to give a panoramic view of the union of two canyons -

the Tararecua and the Urique -

it will take ten minutes to cross.

And if the cable car isn't exciting enough for you...

EXCITED SCREAMING

..At over one and a half miles in length, this is the longest

zip wire in the world.

Woooooo!

However, after that adrenaline rush, getting back will 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.

So far, our adventure has been a journey of extremes,

with sky-high peaks and deep, mysterious valleys.

And ahead is no exception.

The Rockies on steroids. Yes.

Wow!

As we leave Divisadero, El Chepe will be travelling at around 50mph

to our next stop, Bahuichivo.

It's a journey of just 28 miles, but we'll dramatically descend

370 feet into another breathtaking geological wonderland.

The train is about to enter into the Urique 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.

Travelling on a track gauge of four feet, eight and a half inches,

the engine pulling El Chepe

is an EMD SD70 series diesel electric locomotive.

With an overall length of 72 feet and four inches,

at 120 tonnes,

this is a 4,500 horsepower, 16-cylinder beast

of an engine.

TRAIN HORN BLASTS

The landscape looks amazing, the journey is... It's 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 Laja Bridge is a dream come true.

Holy cow! Look at that!

Woohoo!

They've gone for the guardrails.

The smoke is still coming out of the tunnel.

That is just phenomenal.

I mean, the tunnel, coming right into it, 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.

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, Bahuichivo -

a small town of 1,300 people that has grown-up around the railway.

Around a mile or so from the station is the astonishing Urique 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.

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.

Orlando is one of the locals here.

He is zipping through the Urique Canyon to visit a friend

who is producing a drink for an upcoming festival.

Right now, we are in Guapalaina -

the deepest place of the Urique Canyon.

It is a magical place.

It's really amazing.

The canyon, the views. The people are really friendly.

I love it.

I came to visit my friend.

Como estas?

They're making pinole that is made out of corn.

They're having a festival this weekend.

So that's why they are making pinole.

Pinole 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 and he grows corn, beans,

and he will also have a lot of fruit trees,

like banana, mango trees,

orange trees, a lot of fruits.

They only grow here.

In the sierra, you can get, like, two degrees,

and here it's...right now it's like 20 degrees.

So that's a huge difference.

It is a secret place for us, because almost nobody knows

about this community.

Gracias. Gracias.

THEY SPEAK SPANISH

It's time to leave Urique and head further in to the canyon system.

Onboard El Chepe, it's time for lunch.

Gourmet chef Raul is cooking up a smoky storm

in the galley kitchen.

TRANSLATION:

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 chef.

But you'll not hear any complaints from Jerry.

Outstanding.

Really outstanding. Wonderful.

I wouldn't expect the taste... And the company is even better.

And if they fancy a glass of wine with lunch, from their seats

our passengers can peer down into the valley below

where, just 11 miles outside Bahuichivo,

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 Cerocahui and tells

a fascinating story of survival.

This church is a Jesuit mission.

It dates back from the 1780s.

It was erected by the Jesuit fathers who came

and founded this town of Cerocahui.

The settlers here soon realised that, as well as food, the climate

was also perfect for the production of wine.

These vines, they're descended from back when the Jesuits came

here in 1780.

So they came, they had their own vines, because, you know,

remember, they have to make their own wine.

The King of Spain found out that the whole continent

was very good to making wine.

So he saw that as a threat to his economies.

So he prohibited, in America, the growing of the grapevines,

and also he expelled the Jesuits.

King Charles III, 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 these small vines. He says, "You know, there are vines

"from the old Jesuits." And we didn't know that,

so we start replanting 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, but it's a beautiful story.

Everything related with wine is beautiful.

It's time to climb back onboard our train as El Chepe

is reaching the end of the canyon system at Temoris.

We are in Temoris.

Temoris is special because here we have the opening

of the Chepe.

In 1961, one train comes from Chihuahua,

the other train comes from Los Mochis, and they meet here in order

to inaugurate

the Chihuahua al Pacifico Railroad.

On the 24th of November, 1961, the Los Mochis 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 100 years of construction, the Chihuahua Pacifico

Railroad was finally complete.

And it is here that the train must

quickly descend 700 feet from the mountain down to sea level.

This is three levels of tracks that we pass.

We start from the third one, the highest,

we are now in the second one,

and we're going to descend for the first one.

To lose height quickly, El Chepe must enter the Temoris Loop.

It is an astonishing piece of Mexican engineering.

As our train enters La Pera Tunnel, it will travel through 180 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.

Yeah, this is outstanding.

The train enters the La Pera Tunnel which, incredibly,

is half a mile long.

While below, the local tourist train is coming

from the other direction.

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're meeting the original,

the older passenger train that goes to Chihuahua now.

So this, its name,

Regional Turista.

It has two classes.

The yellow one is the Regional Tourist...

..and the red one is Economy Class.

And if carving a 180-degree tunnel through solid rock wasn't enough,

the Mexican engineers had a further challenge -

constructing the extraordinary Santa Barbara Bridge

across the River Septentrion.

To make the most of this moment,

the driver slows down.

Oh, wow!

Exiting the canyon system,

El Chepe now enters a whole new world.

Our train is now heading out onto the plains of Sinaloa,

where we will reach our destination of Los Mochis -

the gateway to the Pacific.

It is now 1pm in the afternoon,

and El Chepe is speeding

towards the ocean.

After leaving Temoris, our train enters the western state of Sinaloa

and travels 82 miles to our penultimate station, El Fuerte.

Then it is nonstop to our destination - Los Mochis.

Before it leaves the mountains behind for good, there are two final

challenges for the train.

The first is the crossing of the Chinipas Bridge.

Completed in 1961, two concrete pillars support a three-span steel

truss that is almost 1,000 feet in length and 335 feet high.

It is the highest bridge on the line.

Although originally built over a dry gorge,

the lower half of the bridge is now submerged in a reservoir, named

the Chinipas River in honour of the construction above.

I mean, look at it. Look at it! Unbelievable!

No sooner is El Chepe across the river than it passes

into tunnel 86.

It is the last and longest tunnel on the journey.

At a mile and a quarter in length, it takes over two minutes

to pass through.

Once on the other side, the landscape takes

on a very different personality.

The mountains are now a distant memory,

replaced by a fertile Mexican landscape.

This is considered one of the richest valleys in Mexico.

This is the state of Sinaloa.

Although famous historically

as a stronghold of Mexico's drug cartels,

these flatlands 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 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...

..to be able to meet a lot of nice people from all over the world.

It is here that the train pulls into our penultimate stop

on our journey - El Fuerte.

Founded in 1563 by the Spanish conquistador Francisco de Ibarra.

For three centuries, El Fuerte was the most important commercial

and agricultural centre of the vast northwestern region of Mexico.

This is a traditional Mexican city surrounded by an area steeped

in ancient mythology.

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 Yoreme, or "Los Mayos".

Some 40,000 Mayo live in this region, still maintaining

their traditional way of life.

This is Jose Luis Varmez.

As well as being a healer,

Jose is also a monster musician,

as local resident Adrian explains.

He is a very respected musician

and also is one of the last deer dancers.

And also their grandsons are very, very good musicians.

They play the traditional instruments.

An important part of the Mayo culture is the performance

of the traditional deer dance.

The deer is considered a sacred animal that used to be giving

support to the people in the Indian tribe.

THEY CHANT IN OWN LANGUAGE

He says that he feels like he is the deer.

He feels the strain,

he feels that he's dancing like a real animal.

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.

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 had a phenomenal, phenomenal day.

We're already planning to come back.

Onboard, Mauricio and his crew are coming to the end of a long day.

Today was a very good day.

It was... The weather was wonderful.

Most of the people were pretty happy, and the staff also was very,

very happy with the people because they were pretty friendly.

Today was very calm and very relaxed.

After nine hours on their feet,

it is time for Mauricio and the team to relax a little.

My staff and I are going to rest for two days,

and on Friday we're going to be ready again to give the people

this journey and to be ambassadors of Mexico in this trip

of the Copper Canyon in the Chepe Express.

It's 6pm, and El Chepe is reaching the end of the line -

Los Mochis.

On behalf of the Chepe Express and Ferromex,

we thank you for travelling with us.

We hope you enjoyed the trip.

Los Mochis is the final stop for the Chihuahua Pacifico Railway.

And for Jerry - rail fan and train nerd - it is the fulfilment

of a lifelong ambition.

If you like trains, you won't be disappointed.

Not at all.

We have now reached the beach at Maviri 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 marvelled at the splendour of the Copper Canyon...

..run into a little-known secret civilisation...

..and gloried in the joy of travelling from mountain to ocean

in just one day.

The Chihuahua Pacifico Express, affectionately known as "El Chepe",

is one of the great train journeys of Mexico and the world.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media