Arica-La Paz railway
Encyclopedia
The Arica
-La Paz
railway or Ferrocarril de Arica-La Paz (FCALP) was built by the Chilean government under the Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1904 between Chile and Bolivia. It was inaugurated on 6 March 1912, and is the shortest line from the Pacific Coast to the interior. It is 440 km (273.4 mi) long, of which 233 km (144.8 mi) is in Bolivian territory. The first section is a narrow gauge
rack railway
, and it crosses the frontier in the Andes
at an elevation of 4265 m (13,992.8 ft) and connects with the Bolivian lines near Viacha
. When the railway is in operation, it provides an outlet for Bolivian copper, some tin, wool and other products and an inlet for much of the merchandise imported by Bolivia.
The railway was built by the German
company Philipp Holzmann
. It has 7 tunnels.
The distance Arica-La Paz via this railway is shorter than the other two alternatives:
The railway was in service until 2005 when part of the line was destroyed by invierno boliviano ("Bolivian winter") flash floods. After the operators of the line went bankrupt, Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del Estado
took over control of the Chilean section of the railway in 2006 and announced plans to repair and reopen it.. Rehabilitation work is estimated to take about 2 years and to be completed in December 2011. The railway would have to compete with an asphalt road that parallels the tracks, which is preferred by many users.
Arica
Arica is a city in northern Chile. "Arica" may also refer to:Places* Arica and Parinacota Region, Chile* Arica Airport , Chile* Arica, Amazonas, town in Colombia* Rio Aricá-açu, tributary of the Cuiabá River south of Cuiabá, BrazilOther...
-La Paz
La Paz
Nuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of the La Paz Department, and the second largest city in the country after Santa Cruz de la Sierra...
railway or Ferrocarril de Arica-La Paz (FCALP) was built by the Chilean government under the Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1904 between Chile and Bolivia. It was inaugurated on 6 March 1912, and is the shortest line from the Pacific Coast to the interior. It is 440 km (273.4 mi) long, of which 233 km (144.8 mi) is in Bolivian territory. The first section is a narrow gauge
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
rack railway
Rack railway
A rack-and-pinion railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail...
, and it crosses the frontier in the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
at an elevation of 4265 m (13,992.8 ft) and connects with the Bolivian lines near Viacha
Viacha
Viacha is a city in Bolivia, situated in the Ingavi Province in the La Paz Department. Viacha lies in the Altiplano, 22 km. Southwest of La Paz. Transportation to and from the city includes cars, buses, and a train.- Economy :...
. When the railway is in operation, it provides an outlet for Bolivian copper, some tin, wool and other products and an inlet for much of the merchandise imported by Bolivia.
The railway was built by the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
company Philipp Holzmann
Philipp Holzmann
Philipp Holzmann AG was a German construction company based in Frankfurt am Main.The company was founded in 1849 by Johann Philipp Holzmann at Sprendlingen in present-day Dreieich near Frankfurt am Main as Philipp Holzmann & Cie...
. It has 7 tunnels.
The distance Arica-La Paz via this railway is shorter than the other two alternatives:
- from La Paz via Lake TiticacaLake TiticacaLake Titicaca is a lake located on the border of Peru and Bolivia. It sits 3,811 m above sea level, making it the highest commercially navigable lake in the world...
to MollendoMollendoMollendo is a town bordering the Pacific Ocean in southern Peru. It is located in the Arequipa Region and is the capital of both the Islay Province and the Mollendo District...
in PeruPeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
is 520 mi (836.9 km), including 150 mi (241.4 km) train ferryTrain ferryA train ferry is a ship designed to carry railway vehicles. Typically, one level of the ship is fitted with railway tracks, and the vessel has a door at the front and/or rear to give access to the wharves. In the United States, train ferries are sometimes referred to as "car ferries", as...
across Lake Titicaca. - from La Paz to AntofagastaAntofagastaAntofagasta is a port city in northern Chile, about north of Santiago. It is the capital of Antofagasta Province and Antofagasta Region. According to the 2002 census, the city has a population of 296,905...
is 711 mi (1,144.2 km).
The railway was in service until 2005 when part of the line was destroyed by invierno boliviano ("Bolivian winter") flash floods. After the operators of the line went bankrupt, Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del Estado
Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del Estado
Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del Estado is the national railway of Chile.The track gauge is Indian gauge in the south and metre gauge in the north.-History:...
took over control of the Chilean section of the railway in 2006 and announced plans to repair and reopen it.. Rehabilitation work is estimated to take about 2 years and to be completed in December 2011. The railway would have to compete with an asphalt road that parallels the tracks, which is preferred by many users.
See also
- Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1904 between Chile and Bolivia
- Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a BoliviaFerrocarril de Antofagasta a BoliviaThe Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia is a private railway operating in the northern provinces of Chile. It is notable in that it was one of the earliest railways built to the gauge of , with a route that climbed from sea level to over , while handling goods traffic totaling near 2 million tons...