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Trans-Andean Railways
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.
Colombian Railways
See Railways in Colombia
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 Ninos 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.
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.
See also
PeruRail
Bolivia - Chile Trans-Andean Railway
Line proposed.
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.
See also
Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia
Ferrocarill Arica La Paz, AricaLa Paz
Central Trans-Andean Railway
from Valparaiso (Chile) to Mendoza (Argentina) – defunct, pending reconstruction [*]. While Chile and Argentina both use the same 1,676 mm gauge, the the link railway used a narrow gauge of with rack railway sections. Thus there are two break-of-gauge stations, one at Los Andes and the other at Mendoza.
See also
Transandine Railway
South Trans-Andean Railway
from Lonquimay (Chile) to Zapala (Argentina) - construction abandoned . 220 km line once again proposed in 2005 and work underway at Chilean end in 2005; first stage completed by early 2006. Possible break-of-gauge. Possible rack railway.
from Osorno to Bariloche – never built
See also
Tren de las Nubes
Panama Railway
Panama Railway
Railways in Colombia
External links
Mercosur report on links - Argentine Ministry of Economy (doc format)
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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Trans-Andean Railways
