Trans-Andean Railways

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There are several Trans-Andean Railways which are either planned, built, defunct, or waiting to be restored.

The lines are listed in order from North to South.

1 North Trans-Andean Railway
2 Peru
3 Bolivia - Chile Trans-Andean Railway
4 Central Trans-Andean Railway
- 4.1 See also
5 South Trans-Andean Railway
6 See also

[edit] North Trans-Andean Railway

Much of Ecuador's Trans-Andean Railway (a vast railway network that once ran from Guayaquil to Quito) has been rendered useless by Mother Nature. Torrential rains from the 1982-83 and 1997-98 El Niños caused massive landslides that damaged the railway line. Only three sections remain operational: a 37-mile segment connecting Quito and Cotopaxi National Park; a 27-mile stretch between Ibarra and Primer Paso; and the mountainous five-hour, 62-mile excursion from Riobamba to Sibambe.

[edit] Peru

In 2006, Ferrocarril Central Andino, work started to regauge the line from 914 mm to 1435 mm. There was also a proposal for a 21 km tunnel under the Andes.

[edit] Bolivia - Chile Trans-Andean Railway

International Railway Journal, Oct, 1999

Bolivian National Railways (ENFE) and consultant Hagler Bailly, United States, have signed a contract to undertake an economic feasibility study into the proposed $US 1 billion 338 km Aiquille-Santa Cruz Railway (IRJ July p6). The line will connect the Eastern Railway network with the Andean Railway network, and would effectively create a new trans-Andean railway from Pacific Ocean ports in Chile to the Brazilian port of Santos.

[edit] Central Trans-Andean Railway

from Valparaíso (Chile) to Mendoza (Argentina) – defunct, pending reconstruction [1]. While Chile and Argentina both use the same 1676 mm gauge, the link railway used 1000 mm gauge with rack railway sections. Thus there are two break-of-gauge stations, one at Los Andes and the other at Mendoza.