científico(Spanish; “scientist”)

Member of a group of officials who served in the government of Porfirio Díaz (1877–80, 1884–1911) in Mexico. Influenced by positivism and rejecting metaphysics, theology, and idealism as inadequate to solve Mexico's problems, they advocated applying what they considered to be the scientific methods of the social sciences to the problems of finance, education, and industrialization. They had little influence on Díaz, but the movement took root in other parts of Latin America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Learn more about científico with a free trial on Britannica.com.

The Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacífico (Chihuahua-Pacific Railway), also known as Chepe from its AAR reporting mark CHP, or Ferrocarril Chihuahua-Pacífico is a major rail line in northwest Mexico, linking the city of Chihuahua, Chihuahua, to the city of Los Mochis, Sinaloa. It runs 673 km (418 miles), traversing the Copper Canyon, a beautiful and rugged series of canyons that have led some to call this the most scenic railroad trip on the continent. It is both an important transportation system for locals and a draw for tourists.

The tracks pass over 37 bridges and through 86 tunnels, rising as high as above sea level near Divisadero, a popular lookout spot over the canyons. Each one-way trip takes roughly 16 hours.

History

The concept of the railroad was officially recognized in 1880, when the president of Mexico, General Manuel González, granted a rail concession to Albert Kinsey Owen of the Utopia Socialist Colony of New Harmony, Indiana, USA, who was seeking to develop a socialist colony. Financial difficulties due to the cost of building a railroad through rugged terrain delayed the project, and the ChP was not completed until 1961.

In 1998, the private rail franchise Ferromex took over the railroad from the Mexican government, which had operated all railroads since 1940.

Schedule

In general, two passenger trains run daily: one a slightly slower service with more stops for locals - 15 official stops and more than 50 "flagged stations" where stops can be made at passenger request - and the other a direct service for tourists that is faster and more expensive.

On its way from Los Mochis to Chihuahua it runs through El Fuerte, Temoris, Bahuichivo, Posada Barrancas, Divisadero, and Creel, among others.

References

• Chepe

See also

• List of Mexican railroads

External links

• El Chepe: Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacífico
• MEXLIST Mexican railroad discussion and study group