Transandine Railway
| Company type | Railway company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 1874 |
| Founder | Juan and Mateo Clark |
| Defunct | 1984 |
| Headquarters | Mendoza , Argentina / Chile |
Area served | Argentina, Chile |
| Products | Passenger and freight rail transport |
The Transandine Railway () was a hybrid rack (Rack railway#Abt system) and adhesion railway stretching 248 km from Mendoza, Argentina over the Andes through the Uspallata Pass to Los Andes, Chile. It represented a key segment of the inaugural rail link connecting the southern Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
Although inactive since 1984 and partially dismantled, restoration discussions continue without any active reconstruction efforts. As of 2023, freight services still operate on the Chilean side between Los Andes and Río Blanco using the original Transandine tracks.
Origins and Expansion
Conceived in 1854, actual construction commenced decades later under the direction of Juan and Mateo Clark, Chilean businessmen of British heritage. After obtaining a concession in Chile in 1874, their enterprise began building from Los Andes in 1887. The Mendoza to Uspallata segment opened in February 1891 and was gradually extended to Las Cuevas by April 1903.
On the Chilean front, the section from Santa Rosa de Los Andes to Hermanos Clark became operational in 1906, reaching Portillo by 1908. The entire line was completed by 1910 under management of the British-owned Argentine Transandine Railway Company. The summit tunnel at the border, measuring 3.2 km, was constructed by the British firm "Messrs. C. H. Walker and Co. Limited."
This route linked Argentina’s and Chile’s broad gauge (5 ft 6 in) rail networks, climbing nearly 3,200 meters at Las Cuevas. The Argentine side incorporated nine rack sections over the final 40 km with maximum gradients of 5.88%, while on the Chilean side seven rack sections spanned 24 km, including a continuous 16 km stretch averaging a steep 7.69% gradient. Protective structures such as snowsheds and tunnels safeguarded vulnerable areas.
Initially powered by Kitson-Meyer rack-and-adhesion steam locomotives—two of which are preserved in Chile—the railway underwent electrification in 1927 using Swiss-manufactured electric locomotives.
Operational difficulties included a glacial flood in 1934 that destroyed 124 km of track on the Argentine side (later reconstructed), as well as a fatal avalanche in Chile in 1936 that claimed three engineers' lives.
Following Argentina’s railway nationalization in 1948, Transandine was incorporated into the General Manuel Belgrano Railway as branches A12 (Mendoza-Paso de los Andes) and A16 (Paso de los Andes-Las Cuevas).
Limited freight throughput combined with competition from road transport impeded profitability. Passenger cars were lightweight; however, frequent derailments and snow-related interruptions affected reliability.
During the Beagle conflict (1977–78), cross-border rail operations halted due to security concerns; Chile prepared to demolish parts of the railway to block potential invasion routes. Road vehicles utilized the narrow Cumbre tunnel under regulated alternating traffic. Passenger train service briefly resumed until 1979; the final freight train passed through in 1984.
Restoration Initiatives
In 2006, Argentina and Chile agreed on plans to renovate the railway with an anticipated completion date of 2010 and an estimated budget of US$460 million.
By 2016, after nearly ten years of postponements, the Transandine rail revival project was indefinitely shelved. The Chilean government deprioritized this private-sector proposal led by the Eurnekián group—a position supported by Argentina during President Mauricio Macri’s administration. The plan envisioned a new 52-km line from Luján de Cuyo (Mendoza Province) into the Chilean Andes designed to transport up to 72 million tons annually at an initial cost of US$3 billion. Instead, focus shifted toward enhancing automobile traffic along the bi-oceanic corridor.
On Chile’s side, the stretch between Los Andes and Río Blanco remains operational for hauling copper mining materials, connecting to Codelco’s Saladillo mine with modern diesel-electric locomotives.
In 2022, representatives from Argentina and Chile convened in Curicó to reconsider launching a new transandine railway beginning south of Mendoza. The proposed route would cross at Paso del Planchón (2,370 m elevation), which is lower than alternative passes such as Agua Negra or Los Libertadores—potentially lowering construction expenses. This project carries an estimated cost of US$1 billion.
Railway Companies
The Transandine route established the first railway connection linking Buenos Aires with the Chilean port city of Valparaíso, creating a direct rail corridor between the southern Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. This network consisted of five distinct railway operators:
- Buenos Aires and Pacific Railway: Operating from Buenos Aires (starting at Retiro station) to Villa Mercedes, San Luis, utilizing a track gauge of 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm).
- Argentine Great Western Railway: Covering the stretch from Villa Mercedes to Mendoza with the same 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) gauge.
- Argentine Transandine Railway: Running from Mendoza to the international border at Las Cuevas on a narrower gauge of 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm).
- Chilean Transandine Railway: Connecting Las Cuevas to Santa Rosa de Los Andes, also using the 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge.
- Chilean State Railway (Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del Estado): Extending from Santa Rosa de Los Andes to Valparaíso with a track gauge of 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm).
Travelers journeying by train between Buenos Aires and Valparaíso experienced an approximate duration of 36 hours. This included transfers at Mendoza and Los Andes necessitated by the change in track gauges along the route. This rail passage significantly reduced travel time compared to the maritime voyage around Cape Horn, which spanned roughly 11 days over a distance of about 13,000 kilometers.
See also
Bibliography
- H. R. Stones, British Railways in Argentina 1860–1948, P.E. Waters & Associates, Bromley, Kent, England (1993).
- W. S. Barclay, The First Transandine Railway, Geographical Journal, Vol. 36, No. 5, 553–562 (1910).
- H. R. Stones, International Rail Routes Over the Andes, Railway Magazine, Vol. 105, No. 699, July 1959, pp. 460–466.
- Santiago Marín Vicuña, Los hermanos Clark, Balcells & Co., Santiago de Chile (1929), 76–260.
- Beverly Cole, Trains, H.F.Ullmann, 2011.
External links
- Project Profile at Concesiones.cl
- The Transandine Railway Los Andes – Mendoza by Ernesto Vargas Cádiz
- Transandine Railway Museum
- Current Status of the Transandine Railway