Ramal Talca-Constitución
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The Ramal Talca-Constitución, also known as the Ramal de Maule is the last remaining narrow-gauge ''ramal'' ( branch line) in Chile. Its route follows the north bank of the
Maule River The Maule river or Río Maule ( Mapudungun: ''rainy'') is one of the most important rivers of Chile. It is inextricably linked to the country's pre-Hispanic (Inca) times, the country's conquest, colonial period, wars of Independence, modern hist ...
and crosses the communes of Talca, Maule,
Pencahue Pencahue () is a town and commune in Chile, located in Talca Province, in the seventh region of Maule. The commune spans and area of . Also there are another three places called Pencahue, near to San Vicente de Tagua Tagua, Sexta Región, Chile. ...
and Constitución, with Constitución the last station on the line. The route features views of the Andean foothills and the Pacific Ocean. The line can support a speed of 50 miles per hour (80 km/h). The railway is facing closure due to inactivity and an increased preference for private transport. Chile's last passenger metre gauge railway, the ''ramal'' runs through an area not served by other ground transportation. The Banco de Arena Railway Bridge over the Maule River, designed by architect Gustave Eiffel, was built from 1908 and 1915 by Schneider and Company. On May 25, 2007 the line was declared a
national monument A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure. The term may also refer to a spec ...
, a valued asset to the country which cannot be destroyed. It is included on the World Monuments Fund's 2018 list of monuments at risk, following damage from forest fires.


History

Rail transport came to the
Maule Region The Maule Region ( es, Región del Maule, ) is one of Chile's 16 first order administrative divisions. Its capital is Talca. The region derives its name from the Maule River which, running westward from the Andes, bisects the region and spans a ...
when the North and South American Company began construction in 1889. The line opened on August 13, 1892, and the first train ran from Talca to Curtiduría (another commune in Chile). The second segment of the line, from Curtiduria to Pichamán (another commune) was completed on November 1, 1894. In 1902 construction progressed towards the northern bank of the
Maule River The Maule river or Río Maule ( Mapudungun: ''rainy'') is one of the most important rivers of Chile. It is inextricably linked to the country's pre-Hispanic (Inca) times, the country's conquest, colonial period, wars of Independence, modern hist ...
, where the first Constitución station was built on a sandbank. The station was difficult to reach; passengers crossed the river from the city, and a convoy brought them to the Constitución station. It was used for 13 years, until 1915 (when the present Constitución station opened). Construction of the line took almost 25 years, under seven governments: #
Jose Manuel Balmaceda Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods. * Jose ben Abin * Jose ben Akabya *Jose the Galile ...
(1886-1891) # Jorge Montt Alvarez (1891-1896) #
Federico Errazuriz Echaurren Federico (; ) is a given name and surname. It is a form of Frederick (given name), Frederick, most commonly found in Spanish language, Spanish, Portuguese language, Portuguese and Italian language, Italian. People with the given name Federico Arti ...
(1896-1901) # Germán Riesco (1901-1906) #
Pedro Montt Montt Pedro Elías Pablo Montt Montt (; 29 June 1849, Santiago, Chile – 16 August 1910, Bremen, Germany) was a Chilean political figure. He served as the president of Chile from 1906 to his death from a probable stroke in 1910. His government furth ...
(1906-1910) # Emiliano Figueroa (September–December 1910) # Ramon Barros Luco (1910-1915) #
Juan Luis Sanfuentes Juan Luis Sanfuentes Andonaegui (; 27 December 1858 – 16 July 1930) was President of Chile between 1915 and 1920. Sanfuentes was the son of writer and politician Salvador Sanfuentes Torres and Matilde Andonaegui. Orphaned at an early age and ...
(opened on December 19, 1915) The line had an uptick in tourism boom after the documentary, ''The Last Ramal'', which was aired by several channels around the world. Televisión Nacional de Chile broadcast a December 2005 report, ''Fruit of the Country''.


Old route

The line originally followed the coast in Constitución to the now-abandoned Sea Baths, a popular Victorian-era tourist resort. Another stop was later added before the Celulosa Arauco y Constitucion (Celco) pulp-mill station. To reach the Celco plant, the trains ran through the streets of Constitución. This created many problems and was banned by the municipality during the early 1970s, although the trains continued to run into the 1990s.


Specifications

* Name - Ramal Talca-Constitución or Ramal de Maule * Home station - Talca * Terminus - Constitución * Location - Talca Province, Maule Region * Distance - 88 km * Opening date - * Status - Operating * Type - Passenger * Operator - Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del Estado * Gauge - Narrow (1000 mm) * Fuel - Diesel (formerly steam) * Cars - German Ferrobús-Buscarril railcar models, such as the ADM 253, 255 and 256 * Maximum speed - 60 km/h * Weight - 30.3 tons * Length -


Dependent communities

Nearly all the villages connected by the Ramal Talca-Constitución are not connected to major cities and communes by other transport methods; they are an average of from the road linking the cities of Talca and
Curepto Curepto is a town and commune in the Chilean Province of Talca, located in the VII Maule Region. The commune spans an area of . Culture The town has many examples of Chilean rural colonial architecture. Its parish church is a quintessential exam ...
). The
Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications The Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications ( es, Ministerio de Transportes y Telecomunicaciones) is a government ministry of Chile. Its head office is in Santiago. The current head is Juan Carlos Muñoz. References External links Ministry ...
requested tenders for a transportation system which could connect these remote locations, and Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del Estado won the tender. The company maintains a regular service for the thousands of local inhabitants; locals have priority on the line over tourists or other users.


Route

Distances below (in kilometers) are approximate.


González Bastías station

González Bastías is a small town which, at 44 km, is the line's halfway point. It is an obligatory stop for trains in both directions, since there is only one track and they must pass each other. During the stop-over, people often buy ''rescoldo'': a hearty bread with pork sausage and hard-boiled eggs. The station is also a storehouse for abandoned railcars. González Bastías was formerly known as Infiernillo (little hell) for its summer heat and winter isolation. The town was later renamed in honor of a local poet, and the station is also known as Estación Poeta.


2010 earthquake

The line was severely damaged by the 2010 8.8-magnitude earthquake. The quake's ensuing tsunami destroyed the Constitución station. National media reported that ghost towns sprang up whilst the line was out of service because the towns served by the line are dependent on it. In a normal year, 90,000 people use the line to travel to local towns for work, leisure or commerce. After nine months out of service it was reopened by president Sebastián Piñera, who fulfilled an election promise. Despite the earthquake and tsunami damage, the ''ramal'' was repaired relatively quickly.


References

{{reflist Railway lines in Chile