Wara Wara del Sur
The train that links the whole corridor: it stops at all twelve stations, from Oruro to Villazón, including the Altiplano villages. Southbound on Wednesday and Sunday.
12
Stations
~650 km
Oruro – Villazón
12 h 42 min
Approx. running time
2 days/wk
Frequency per direction
Oruro ↔ Villazón
The Wara Wara del Sur is the train that runs the whole corridor of the Ferroviaria Andina, stopping at all twelve stations, from Oruro to Villazón. Its name, “wara wara”, means star in Aymara.
Unlike the Expreso, it also stops in the Altiplano villages —Machacamarca, Poopó, Pazña, Challapata, Huari and Sevaruyo—, which makes it the train of the communities and a slower, cheaper experience. It offers Ejecutivo, Salón and Popular classes.
It runs southbound (Oruro→Villazón) on Wednesday and Sunday, and northbound (Villazón→Oruro) on Monday and Thursday. Times and fares are indicative; always confirm at the ticket office.
The 12 stations
Wara Wara del Sur
Times between stops
| From | To | Approx. time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oruro | → | Machacamarca | 28 min |
| Machacamarca | → | Poopó | 30 min |
| Poopó | → | Pazña | 26 min |
| Pazña | → | Challapata | 30 min |
| Challapata | → | Huari | 22 min |
| Huari | → | Sevaruyo | 55 min |
| Sevaruyo | → | Río Mulato | 48 min |
| Río Mulato | → | Uyuni | 1 h 18 min |
| Uyuni | → | Atocha | 2 h 10 min |
| Atocha | → | Tupiza | 2 h 45 min |
| Tupiza | → | Villazón | 2 h 30 min |
Approximate running times between stops. Oruro ↔ Villazón: 12 h 42 min of running time (the real trip includes stops).
Running days
Did you know…?
- “Wara Wara” means star in Aymara.
- It is the train of the communities: it stops in all twelve corridor towns, including the smallest.
- It offers the Popular class, the cheapest on the network.
- It passes through Huari, home of the famous beer, and Uyuni, gateway to the salt flat.
Connections and links
The corridor connects with other forms of transport at its main stations. Oruro has a bus terminal with services to La Paz, Cochabamba, Potosí and Sucre. In Uyuni, agencies and minibuses link with the Salar de Uyuni, Potosí and the Chilean border. In Villazón, the crossing on foot to La Quiaca gives access to the railway and buses of northern Argentina.
Shared stations: Oruro, Río Mulato, Uyuni, Atocha, Tupiza and Villazón are served by both trains, so at those stations you can choose between the Expreso del Sur and the Wara Wara del Sur depending on the day and the class you prefer.
Schedule and fares
Check the full schedule in both directions, the running days and the indicative fares by leg and class.
Bookmark this site before your next trip
We update trenbolivia.com as soon as anything changes — schedule adjustments, service suspensions, fare changes and important notices from the Ferroviaria Andina. Save this page and check it before you travel so you always have the latest information.