Ferrocarril Pavón al Golfo de Taylor
| Location: | Pavón | |||
| Date of birth: | Anahuaco | |||
| Type: | Passenger and freight railway | |||
El Ferrocarril Pavón al Golfo de Taylor (Istvanistani: the Pavón-Taylor Bay Railway), otherwise known as the Pago Express is a passenger railway and tourist attraction located in north eastern Anahuaco.
The line connects San Miguel el Grande, the capital city of Pavón state, with Taylor Bay. While the railway connection was originally built to allow the inland city's businesses to access to the port of Aldama, the scenic and mountainous route made the line an instant hit with tourists in the region.
El Pago Express
The line itself has become synonymous with the famed tourist train, nicknamed El Pago Express. The name is derived from the Martino names for the route: Pavón and el Golfo de Taylor.
The route
Starting at the Taylor Bay end of the route, passengers find themselves in the bustling port city of Aldama. The port is the northernmost city in Anahuaco and is famed for its seafood, coastal farmlands and unique music scene. Separated from Ciudad de Anahuaco by barren, mountainous terrain, the area has developed a distinct culture, with domestic tourists favoring the region for its warm but hospitable climate.
While the first couple of hours of a journey on El Pago offers views of farmlands, the landscape quickly begins to change, as the line begin its ascent into the foothills of the Sierra del Sur mountain range. The first of five spectacular bridges carries trains over the north Pavón reservoir, which provides drinking water and irrigation to much of the state.
As the train continues to climb, the landscape gradually becomes more arid, with farmlands giving way to expanses of dry earth and cactuses. Passing through countless tunnels, the line eventually climbs to its highest point, 2500 meters above both sea level and the station at Aldama.
Hereafter, the train begins its descent, with lush pine forests, vast canyons, and high peaks dominating the landscape. Many tourists on the route choose to disembark at the small town of El Quelite, famed for its Originales culture and stunning canyons.
As the train enters the last stage of its route, the landscape gradually becomes drier and drier, before reaching the state capital, San Miguel el Grande. The city is well-known for its colonial architectural style and many churches, with numerous spires coming into view during the last twenty minutes of the 10-hour journey.
Construction
Construction of the railway began in 1708, with the state government financing and promoting the project as a way of better unifying the state, as well as promoting economic development in inland areas. While the arid inland areas of the state had abundant natural resources, including lumber, ores, and precious metals, industrialists struggled to access international markets due to transport difficulties. Remedying these difficulties was the catalyst for constructing the line.
The project began on the coastal plains, with rapid progress being made across the flat terrain. As the line reached the foothills of the mountains, complications began, with the route requiring workers to blast or dig through numerous mountain spurs and rocky outcrops, creating a total of 40 tunnels, ranging in length from 20 meters to over a kilometer.
These challenges caused costs to escalate, and the project was temporarily halted in 1710. After the state government appealed to the federal government for support, construction resumed a year later, and the work was completed in mid-1713.
Limitations
Due to the challenges prevented by the terrain, the railway consists of a single line, with sidings placed along the route to allow trains to pass each other. While originally intended purely for freight, the increasing frequency of tourist and passenger trains has presented challenges for the railway, with frequent disagreements regarding whether freight or passenger trains should be given priority on the line.
