The Tren de las Sierras is a train route between the Argentinian city of Córdoba and the popular holiday and festival resort of Cosquín.
The train runs on the old narrow gauge line between Córdoba and La Rioja. It was temporarily shut down in 2001 but operations resumed in 2007, since 2008 it has been running again as far as Cosquín, and from 2009 it was supposed to reach Capilla del Monte and Cruz del Eje, covering the whole Punilla Valley - however, these plans have been postponed indefinitely due to government problems. The route has been used by modernized diesel railcars since the 1960s.
As of March 2022, there are no plans to reactivate the entire route to La Rioja.
As of March 2022, trains run from Monday to Friday with a frequency of 5 services in both directions. In addition, the Tren de las Sierras is running on Saturdays and Sundays with 4 services between Alta Córdoba and Valle Hermoso. And during the holidays it works, according to the schedule of the day. A one-way ticket from Córdoba to Cosquín costs US$16 for an adult.
To travel on the Tren de las Sierras from Córdoba/Cosquín to Valle Hermoso and on the Villa María – Córdoba service, you can buy your tickets in advance through the website. Tickets will not be sold on the train.
Between Córdoba and La Calera, the train first runs through the outskirts of Córdoba, partly through quite poor areas. A first highlight is crossing the Saldán Bridge , which offers a wonderful view of the Río Suquía valley. Then it continues through the periphery to La Calera. The attractively located but poor place is not worth the trouble of getting there, you should at least drive as far as San Roque.
Between La Calera and San Roque is the most attractive part of the train journey. The Río Suquía crosses the Sierra Chica mountain range here in a sometimes very narrow gorge, which leaves little room for the train route. It drives past the old San Roque dam - it is hard to believe that its turbines once drove the most powerful hydroelectric power station in the world - and just before the new dam through a tunnel to the coast of Lago San Roque, which at times offers a very attractive view.
San Roque is an ideal destination for camping enthusiasts, because the tiny town with less than 1000 inhabitants is located directly on the lake and campsites are plentiful. The well-known rock festival Cosquín Rock (in February) also takes place here.
The last stretch of the route again leads through a densely populated area. The train stops twice in Bialet Massé and once in Santa María de Punilla before reaching Cosquín.