Ramal Talca-Constitución
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The Ramal Talca-Constitución, also known as the Ramal de Maule is the last remaining
narrow-gauge A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge (distance between the rails) narrower than . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curv ...
''ramal'' (
branch line A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line. Branch lines may serve one or more industries, or a city or town not located ...
) in
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
. 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 hi ...
and crosses the
communes A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...
of
Talca Talca () is a city and commune in Chile located about south of Santiago, and is the capital of both Talca Province and Maule Region (7th Region of Chile). As of the 2012 census, the city had a population of 201,142. The city is an important ...
, 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 Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...
. 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 Metre-gauge railways ( US: meter-gauge railways) are narrow-gauge railways with track gauge of or 1 metre. Metre gauge is used in around of tracks around the world. It was used by several European colonial powers including France, Britain and ...
, 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 Alexandre Gustave Eiffel ( , ; Bonickhausen dit Eiffel; 15 December 1832 – 27 December 1923) was a French civil engineer. A graduate of École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures, he made his name with various bridges for the French railway net ...
, 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 sp ...
, a valued asset to the country which cannot be destroyed. It is included on the
World Monuments Fund World Monuments Fund (WMF) is a private, international, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites around the world through fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking, education, and training ...
's 2018 list of monuments at risk, following damage from forest fires.


History

Rail transport came to the
Maule Region The Maule Region (, ) 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 basin of about 20,6 ...
when the North and South American Company began construction of the line in 1889. The line opened on August 13, 1892, and the first steam train ran from
Talca Talca () is a city and commune in Chile located about south of Santiago, and is the capital of both Talca Province and Maule Region (7th Region of Chile). As of the 2012 census, the city had a population of 201,142. The city is an important ...
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 hi ...
, 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 A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...
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 to complete, under seven presidencies: #
Jose Manuel Balmaceda Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. Given name Mishnaic and Talmudic periods *Jose ben Abin *Jose ben Akabya *Jose the Galilean *Jose ben Halafta *Jo ...
(1886-1891) # Jorge Montt Alvarez (1891-1896) # Federico Errazuriz Echaurren (1896-1901) #
Germán Riesco Germán Riesco Errázuriz (; May 28, 1854 – December 8, 1916) was a Chilean political figure, and he served as President of Chile between 1901 and 1906. Early life He was born in Rancagua, the son of Mauricio Riesco, a Spanish people, Spani ...
(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 furt ...
(1906-1910) #
Emiliano Figueroa Emiliano Figueroa Larraín (; 12 July 1866 – 16 May 1931) was President of Chile from December 23, 1925, until his resignation on May 10, 1927. He also served as acting president for a few months in 1910. Biography Figueroa was born on July 12 ...
(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 episode ''The Last Ramal'' of the documentary series ''El Mirador 2000'', which was aired by several channels around the world.
Televisión Nacional de Chile Televisión Nacional de Chile (TVN) is a Chilean Public broadcasting, public service broadcaster. It was founded by order of President Eduardo Frei Montalva and it was launched nationwide on 18 September 1969. Since then, the company has been re ...
broadcast a December 2005 report on the railway, ''Fruit of the Country'', followed by a Canal 13 episode of ''Places that Speak'' in 2015 to mark the centennial since the railway became fully operational. In 2025, 3 new Brazilian built two-car DMUs finally arrived to the railway - the first new orders to the line after more than half a century, increasing its capacity. The stations are slated for renovations and a possible double tracking, coupled with efforts to preserving much of the storied history of the line and its legendary 70s railbuses, which are part of the heritage of the Maule Region since they were received in the decade.


Old route

The narrow gauge 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 diesel railbuses 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 Talca Province () is one of four Provinces of Chile, provinces of the central Chilean Regions of Chile, region of Maule Region, Maule (VII). Its capital is the city of Talca, Chile, Talca. Administration As a province, Talca is a second-level ad ...
, Maule Region * Distance - 88 km * Opening date - * Status - Operating * Type - Passenger * Operator -
Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del Estado Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del Estado (abbreviated EFE, lit. ''State Railway Company'') is the national railway and the oldest state-run enterprise in Chile. It manages the infrastructure and operating rail services in the country. Track gauge ...
* Gauge - Narrow (1000 mm) * Fuel - Diesel (formerly steam) * Cars - German Ferrobús-Buscarril railcar models, such as the ADM 253, 255 and 256, complemented by Marcopolo Rail airconditioned two-car diesel railbuses * 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 Talca () is a city and commune in Chile located about south of Santiago, and is the capital of both Talca Province and Maule Region (7th Region of Chile). As of the 2012 census, the city had a population of 201,142. The city is an important ...
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 ex ...
). The Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications requested tenders for a transportation system which could connect these remote locations, and
Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del Estado Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del Estado (abbreviated EFE, lit. ''State Railway Company'') is the national railway and the oldest state-run enterprise in Chile. It manages the infrastructure and operating rail services in the country. Track gauge ...
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 town A ghost town, deserted city, extinct town, or abandoned city is an abandoned settlement, usually one that contains substantial visible remaining buildings and infrastructure such as roads. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economi ...
s 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 Miguel Juan Sebastián Piñera Echenique (; 1 December 1949 – 6 February 2024) was a Chilean businessman and politician who served as President of Chile from 2010 to 2014 and again from 2018 to 2022. The son of a Christian Democratic Party (C ...
, who fulfilled an election promise. Despite the earthquake and tsunami damage, the ''ramal'' was repaired relatively quickly.


References

{{reflist Railway lines in Chile