CHIHUAHUA, Mexico -- Copper Canyon railway officials beefed up
security following a train robbery in November that left one
tourist dead and several other passengers wounded.
The incident occurred aboard a first class passenger train on
the Chihuahua al Pacifico railroad, which provides access to the
rugged canyon in northern Mexico for thousands of tourists every
year. At least nine armed men held up hundreds of people at
gunpoint, demanding U.S. dollars and jewelry, according to reports
from passengers, one of whom was Bettie Wright, an outside agent
with K&K Travel of Glendale, Ariz. "It was terrifying," Wright
said. "I was down on the floor praying."
A Swiss tourist who was videotaping the robbers was shot and
killed, and at least five other passengers were wounded, mainly by
bullets that ricocheted off the ceilings of the cars, Wright
said.
Six Mexican men have been arrested in connection with the
robbery.
Since the incident, Ferromex, which has run the Chihuahua al
Pacifico railway since it was privatized last February, has
tightened security at the stations and on the trains, according to
South Orient Express' general director Sergio Portillo. South
Orient Express, headquartered here with offices in Houston, is one
of the firms operating deluxe rail journeys on American-owned
trains in the region.
The security measures have included installing walk-through and
handheld metal detectors at the main train stations along the
route, and boosting the number of guards patrolling the
Mexican-owned first and second class daily passenger trains, and
the American-owned cars.
The Chihuahua al Pacifico railway carries both local passenger
trains, including the first class option popular with tourists, and
private cars operated by U.S.-based tour companies.
Armed state policemen are patrolling most of the trains until
Ferromex's security staff receives permits to carry firearms.
Portillo also said Mexican military personnel are positioned at the
train stations and at various points along the railway.
Additionally, Ferromex plans to launch an express train for
tourists that only stops at the main stations on the 400-mile
route, Portillo said, adding that authorities believe the robbers
boarded the train at a small station that is not a tourist
stop.
Although Portillo said crime is not a major problem in the
Copper Canyon, the precautions are aimed at allaying potential
fears among travelers about safety in the region. "This [robbery]
was a surprise," Portillo said. "[South Orient Express] has never
had a problem, and the last time there was a robbery in the Copper
Canyon was several years ago."
Other Copper Canyon operators said the recent robbery should not
dissuade tourists. "This is the first time there has been an
incident in quite a while," said Pat Rondelli, director of sales
and operations for Sierra Madre Express, a Tucson, Ariz.-based firm
operating deluxe Copper Canyon rail programs. "I am bringing my
granddaughter on a trip there, and if I thought it wasn't safe, I
would not take her," she added.
K&K Travel's Wright, who was escorting her third group in
the Copper Canyon when the robbery took place, also plans to return
and continue to promote the area to clients. "I will probably go
back as long as there is security because it is so beautiful,"
Wright said.