Mexico is moving forward with it’s ambitious plans to build a train from Tijuana to Cabo San Lucas through Baja California.
All legislative approvals have been made and they will be breaking ground on a train that officials hope to serve at least 25,000 passengers per day with trains running every 30 minutes from 6 a.m.-11 p.m. It is currently expected to be finished in four years, or in 2017.
And it actually goes past Cabo San Lucas to San Jose del Cabo but considering most people I know anyway would be more interested in the former rather than the latter, I mentioned it first to get your attention.
Now why in the world would you take a train for 10 or so hours when you could just drive to Ensenada in a couple hours from Southern California or fly to Cabo in two?
Mexican authorities are using the Jimmy Buffett line of “it’s as much about the journey as the destination” (well I credit it to Buffett anyway) but to me it’s about the experience of traveling on a train as opposed to driving or flying.
I love it. For one, I have legroom. Lots of it. And with only two seats per side, I’m not squished in and never have to worry about getting stuck in the dreaded middle seat. Plus, trains have near-constant views, you can get up and walk around, go to the dining car, usually an observation car with a clear plastic bubble roof and talk to other travelers, look out a very large window from your seat plus you can drink! Certainly can’t do that when you’re driving.
With all this you would be surprised at how fast 10 or so hours goes while you’re on a train. And, of course, you can always fly back home.
Also, you don’t have to take it all the way to Cabo, of course. It will have stops in Ensenada, the Baja California wine country in Valle de Guadalupe and Bahia de Los Angeles which I have heard from frequent Baja travelers is a stunning beach with great scuba diving. You could use the train go to between destinations, too. In fact, those in San Jose del Cabo can take it between there and Cabo at their leisure.
In total it will have a dozen stops.
Exactly how this will work from a ticketing standpoint and how much it will cost has yet to be announced. But if it’s reasonable, comparable to what it would cost to fly to some of those places (around $200) then I’ll be the first one on board.
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