Despite the danger, dozens of migrants regularly clamber aboard to travel for three days to the US border in search of the American Dream – but many never even make it that far
In the scorching heat of the Chihuahuan desert, a relentless train rumbles through the arid countryside, its wheels carving a path of hope.
But far from the comfort of a seated carriage, those taking the three-day journey do so at great risk knowing they may never reach their final destination. Welcome aboard Mexico’s El Tren de la Muerte â the train of death. Making its way from the small town of Arriaga in the southern state of Chiapas, it travels some 1,840 miles north through cartel-infested battlegrounds destined for the US southern border.
For 72 hours, the stowaway riders are at the mercy of death-dealing narcos and heavily armed bandits, although the train itself is often passengers’ biggest threat. Along with its cargo of new cars and steel reinforcement rods, the freight train’s rusted wagons are filled with dozens of migrants.
Despite the danger, many do so as they do not have the temporary visa required by Mexican authorities to make their way through the country legally, nor the fare to travel by conventional means. Each has undertaken the perilous journey fleeing violence and political persecution in their home countries in the hope of the American dream.