Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(starting with a bus ride to Gamboa); northbound partial transits and full transits leave at
7.30am.
The Panama Canal Railway Company
Corozal Passenger Terminal, Building T376, Corozal West • Mon-Fri departs 7.15am (1hr), returning from
Colón at 5.15pm; reservations are advisable and it's worth getting there early (6.30am) to secure your vantage
point • $25 one way • 317 6070,
panarail.com
• A taxi costs around $6 from the city centre to the terminal
The Corozal Passenger Terminal of the
Panama Canal Railway Company
is the departure
point for the scenic transisthmian train journey. The original
Panama Railroad
, built in the
1850s during the California Gold Rush, transported over $700 million in gold before the com-
pletion of the Union Pacific Railroad across the US in 1869 made it obsolete, forcing it into
bankruptcy. Following a short revival during the canal's construction, the railway fell into
disrepair until 1998 when the government agreed to privatize it. Though the railway company
predominantly ferries freight to and from the Atlantic and Pacific container ports, it offers a
commuter passenger service to Colón that is very popular with tourists. A supremely com-
fortable way to enjoy the canal, it serves up old-world elegance in wood-panelled, carpeted
carriages with large windows. In fine weather, make sure you also get out onto the open view-
ing deck.
