About this journey

Antonina station sits on the Atlantic coastal plain of Paraná state, the starting point of the Ramal de Antonina, a 16 km branch line connecting this small port town to Morretes. The town itself has deep colonial roots, having been formally established as a municipality on 21 January 1857, though Portuguese settlement in the area dates to the seventeenth century.

The branch line was out of regular service for 30 years before being revived for passenger use. On 21 November 2020, the Trem Caiçara tourist service was inaugurated by the ABPF in partnership with local authorities and Rumo Logística, bringing steam haulage back to the corridor. The train on this journey is the Baldwin Mogul 11, a steam locomotive working the restored service.

The Ramal de Antonina passes through terrain set between the Baixada Paranaense and the Serra do Mar, where altitudes within the municipality range from 0 to 1,800 metres. The line arrives at Morretes, a town whose fortunes were closely tied to the railway from the outset: when the Estrada de Ferro Paraná reached the coast and began traffic in 1885, Morretes' commerce and erva-mate trade declined sharply. Today the same infrastructure that once disrupted the town's economy brings visitors directly to it.