A year ago we had the opportunity to take the Panama Canal Railway journey from Panama City to Colon. It was simply enchanting.
The Panama Canal Railway provides a sightseeing trip from Panama City to Colon. The service was excellent, and the views spectacular. The Panama Canal Railway is primarily a freight line, moving containers from Colon to Panama City and back. Economically it can make great sense to off-load contains in one port and load then onto other ships at the other end of the canal. This allows a homogenous shipment to be broken down and distributed to ships going to a range of ports on the other side of the canal, and saves the cost of sending the ship through the canal.
There is also a daily "commuter" rail service from Panama City to Colon in the morning with a return trip in the evening. This doubles as the tourist train.
The train leaves Panama City promptly at 7:15am (return is at 5:15, promptly). The train travels through the lush forest along the side of the canal, and bursts out at the town of Gamboa (as in the video above, though sadly it was not a sunny day), and the line then passes beside the canal for most of the remainder of the journey.
Possibly the most magical part of the journey is then the train feels like it is gliding over the middle of Lake Gatun, the lake that enables the canal to exist. With no tides, and no danger of the water level rising, the train tracks are flat and straight, and the train seems to float across the lake. It is easy to imagine the train laying floating track in front and rolling it up behind, as it makes its way across.
Sadly at the Colon end of the trip. the train slowly rolls past a stinking acre of rubbish that may be burning depending on the rain, but certainly is being picked over by Panamanians and vultures.
Approaching the northern terminus there are great views of the new bridge, built to open up the Caribean coast west of Colon.
The price is $25 per adult, and is well worth it.
The Panama Canal Railway provides a sightseeing trip from Panama City to Colon. The service was excellent, and the views spectacular. The Panama Canal Railway is primarily a freight line, moving containers from Colon to Panama City and back. Economically it can make great sense to off-load contains in one port and load then onto other ships at the other end of the canal. This allows a homogenous shipment to be broken down and distributed to ships going to a range of ports on the other side of the canal, and saves the cost of sending the ship through the canal.
There is also a daily "commuter" rail service from Panama City to Colon in the morning with a return trip in the evening. This doubles as the tourist train.
The train leaves Panama City promptly at 7:15am (return is at 5:15, promptly). The train travels through the lush forest along the side of the canal, and bursts out at the town of Gamboa (as in the video above, though sadly it was not a sunny day), and the line then passes beside the canal for most of the remainder of the journey.
Possibly the most magical part of the journey is then the train feels like it is gliding over the middle of Lake Gatun, the lake that enables the canal to exist. With no tides, and no danger of the water level rising, the train tracks are flat and straight, and the train seems to float across the lake. It is easy to imagine the train laying floating track in front and rolling it up behind, as it makes its way across.
Sadly at the Colon end of the trip. the train slowly rolls past a stinking acre of rubbish that may be burning depending on the rain, but certainly is being picked over by Panamanians and vultures.
Approaching the northern terminus there are great views of the new bridge, built to open up the Caribean coast west of Colon.
The price is $25 per adult, and is well worth it.
