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.
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[edit] Colombian Railways
[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 natural disasters. 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/59.5 km segment connecting Quito and Cotopaxi National Park; a 27-mile/43.5 stretch between Ibarra and Primer Paso; and the mountainous five-hour, 62-mile/99.8 km excursion from Riobamba to Sibambe.
[edit] Peru
In July 2006 Ferrocarril Central Andino began work to regauge the Huancayo - Huancavelica line from 914 mm to 1,435 mm gauge. There was also a proposal for a 21 km tunnel under the Andes.[1]
[edit] See also
[edit] Bolivia - Chile Trans-Andean Railway
Line proposed.[2]
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 Aiquile-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] See also
- Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia
- Ferrocarill Arica La Paz, Arica–La Paz
[edit] Central Trans-Andean Railway
- from Valparaíso (Chile) to Mendoza (Argentina) – defunct, pending reconstruction [1]. While Chile and Argentina both use the same 1,676 mm gauge, the the link railway used a narrow gauge of 1,000 mm (3 ft 3⅜ in) with rack railway sections. Thus there are two break-of-gauge stations, one at Los Andes and the other at Mendoza.
[edit] See also
[edit] South Trans-Andean Railway
- from Lonquimay (Chile) to Zapala (Argentina) - construction abandoned [3]. 220 km line once again proposed in 2005[4] and work underway at Chilean end in 2005; first stage completed by early 2006.[5] Possible break-of-gauge. Possible rack railway.[6]
- from Osorno to Bariloche – never built
[edit] See also
- FERISTSA Railway which connects North-South.
[edit] External links
- Mercosur report on links - Argentine Ministry of Economy (doc format)
[edit] References
- ^ "Huancavelica upgrade", Railway Gazette International, 2006-06-01.
- ^ IRJ October 1999
- ^ Attempts to cross the border. Railways of the far south.
- ^ IRJ March 2005
- ^ "Work starts on trans-Andean link", Railway Gazette International, 2005-02-01.
- ^ "IIRSA", Initiative For Regional Infrastructure Integration In South America, 2005-09-01.
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