AFE Passenger Rail
Rail · Tacuarembó · Administración de Ferrocarriles del Estado
1 line · 22 stations
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Lines
Service information checked . Check the operator before travel because schedules can change at short notice.
Quick facts
- Current route
- AFE operates one passenger line between Tacuarembó and Rivera. There is no regular passenger train from Montevideo.
- History
- The Paso de los Toros to Rivera railway opened in 1892. The present Tacuarembó to Rivera service began in 2018 after the northern track was rehabilitated.
- Service
- One round trip runs Monday and Friday, except non-working holidays. Date changes and mechanical cancellations are posted separately.
- Schedule
- The train leaves Tacuarembó at 07:00 and reaches Rivera at 09:10. It returns at 16:15 and arrives at 18:25.
- Tickets
- Buy at the station or aboard the train. Capacity is limited, and AFE recommends arriving early enough to secure a place.
- Trains
- AFE uses self-propelled DMU-Y1 diesel railcars. Maintenance can change or cancel an individual departure, so check the operator's notices near travel.
- Accessibility
- AFE does not publish a station-by-station access guide for this rural line. Call ahead before relying on level boarding or assistance.
Mike’s notes
Uruguay has one regular passenger railway: AFE's Tacuarembó to Rivera train. It runs in the north of the country and does not connect with Montevideo or the Ferrocarril Central freight corridor.
The railway from Paso de los Toros to Rivera opened in 1892. It later fed international services toward Brazil, but the cross-border rail connection at Rivera is now inactive. The current passenger train stays entirely within Uruguay and uses only the northern end of the old main line.
The present service opened in December 2018 after 310 km of track between Paso de los Toros and Rivera had been reconstructed. It restored a public connection for the small communities between the two departmental capitals, not a through train from Montevideo.
The railway also serves rural communities between Tacuarembó and Rivera. Eight named stations and fourteen kilometer posts appear in the timetable. The kilometer posts are request stops, so passengers signal to board or notify the guard before leaving the train.
AFE's base timetable has one round trip on Monday and Friday, excluding non-working holidays. The morning train reaches Rivera in 2 hours 10 minutes, then the same-day return leaves in the late afternoon. AFE's 2026 notices confirm that trains 1920 and 1921 still operate, but individual departures are sometimes moved or canceled.
Tickets are sold at the station or aboard the train. AFE publishes point-to-point fares but has no online booking system. Capacity is limited, and the operator advises passengers to arrive early enough to secure a ticket.
The current rolling stock is AFE's DMU-Y1 fleet. These are self-propelled diesel railcars, not locomotive-hauled intercity coaches. Passenger space is limited, and AFE does not publish air-conditioning or luggage details on its service page. Maintenance has a direct effect on service: AFE paused the route for rolling-stock safety inspections in October 2025, resumed operations, and began an integral Y1 repair program in 2026. Check the notices even when the base timetable still shows a train.
Station facilities range from the terminals at Tacuarembó and Rivera to very small rural platforms. AFE does not publish detailed accessibility information for each stop. Call the operator before travel if boarding assistance is required.
A 2025 government study found a metropolitan passenger service toward Progreso and 25 de Agosto feasible. That is a proposal, not an operating train, and it is not shown in route planning.