Chepe Express vs Chepe Regional: Which Copper Canyon Train Should You Take?

The railway through the Copper Canyon carries two very different services. The Chepe Express is the tourist train: it runs between Los Mochis, on the coast of Sinaloa, and Creel, in the Sierra Tarahumara, covering more than 350 km 215 mi in about nine hours forty minutes, with three classes and a restaurant on board. The Chepe Regional is a transport train with a single tourist class that stops at sixteen stations between Chihuahua city and Los Mochis and takes around fifteen hours. Same scenery, different trip, different way of booking.

The Express runs only between Los Mochis and Creel, so it does not reach Chihuahua city. It has three classes: First Class (up to 96 passengers), Executive Class (up to 240) and Tourist Class (up to 192). First and Executive have a restaurant car, and Tourist Class has its own diner. Anything you buy on board is paid in cash. On meals, the operator does not say the same thing twice: its FAQ says no class includes food or drinks, while its comparison page says a First class ticket includes meals at the Urike restaurant. Executive and Tourist are not in doubt — food is à la carte. Ask what your fare covers when you book.

Its stops are the ones most visitors want: El Fuerte, Bahuichivo (the station for Cerocahui), Divisadero and Creel. Packages and itineraries around the Express are sold through the operator's own travel agency.

The Regional is the service people along the sierra actually use. It has one class, tourist, with snacks and a cafeteria, and it runs four times a week: two northbound and two southbound. Its route covers sixteen stations: Chihuahua, Cuauhtémoc, La Junta, San Juanito, Creel, Pitorreal, Divisadero, Posada Barrancas, San Rafael, Cuiteco, Bahuichivo, Témoris, Loreto, El Fuerte, Sufragio and Los Mochis.

Two practical consequences: it is the only one of the two trains that starts in Chihuahua city, and it is not sold online. Seats are booked by phone on 800 122 4373 or at a ticket office.

Chepe Express. Los Mochis to Creel on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays: leaves Los Mochis at 7:00, El Fuerte 9:20, Bahuichivo 14:25, Divisadero 16:15, arriving Creel at 17:40. Creel to Los Mochis on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays: leaves Creel at 8:00, Divisadero 9:55, Bahuichivo 11:25, El Fuerte 14:35, arriving Los Mochis at 16:40. In May, June, August and September the Express runs only Thursday to Sunday, so check the operator's 2026 calendar before you lock dates.

Chepe Regional. Chihuahua to Los Mochis on Tuesdays and Saturdays; Los Mochis to Chihuahua on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Two details that catch people out: Sinaloa (Los Mochis and El Fuerte) is one hour behind Chihuahua, and stations open one hour before the train leaves.

• You are flying into Los Mochis and want the classic canyon ride: the Express. One day gets you from the coast to Creel, with the best-known viewpoints in daylight.
• You are starting in Chihuahua city: the Regional, or road transport to Creel and the Express from there. The Express does not serve Chihuahua city.
• You want to stop at small stations: the Regional, which calls at sixteen of them. Between Creel and Los Mochis the operator only sells it to visitors who already hold a longer Chepe Express reservation; between Chihuahua and Creel anyone can ride.
• You are travelling on fixed dates: compare both timetables first. Four Regional runs a week and three Express departures per direction leave less room than it looks, especially in May, June, August and September.

• Tickets go on sale up to 364 days ahead; the operator suggests booking one to three months out, and earlier for holidays.
• No cancellations and no refunds. Changing the date costs MXN 350 per ticket plus any fare difference, and no changes are accepted within 72 hours of travel.
• Tickets for the Divisadero to Creel segment cannot be changed at all, in either direction.
• Luggage: one 25 kg suitcase per passenger plus a carry-on. Bicycles and motorcycles are not allowed.
• Ticket offices in Chihuahua and Los Mochis take cash and credit cards; on board, cash only.

The operator publishes its 2026 fares as image tables. We copied them into our train guide, where you can compare the 2026 fares by season, class and route for both trains. They change without notice, so confirm the price on chepe.mx before you pay.

For a first visit with a week or less, the Express in one direction and road transport in the other is the combination that wastes the least time: you see the canyon rim in daylight and you are not tied to a train that runs three days a week. If your trip is longer, or you want to start and end in Chihuahua city, the Regional opens up stations the Express skips and makes a one-way loop possible.

Whichever you pick, book the nights around the train first: in Creel, Divisadero and El Fuerte the good rooms go long before the seats do.

Schedules, classes, luggage and ticket rules checked on September 15, 2026 against the operator's official pages: Chepe Express schedules, Chepe Regional departures, Express vs Regional, FAQ and terms and conditions. Meals by class, the conditions the operator sets for visitors on the Regional and the length of the ride were rechecked on September 21, 2026 on the same FAQ and comparison page; the 2026 fares live in our train guide. Times and prices change; confirm with the operator before you buy.