Rail transport in Uruguay
Encyclopedia
The Uruguayan railway network has approximately 2900 km of lines, all of gauge 1435 mm, diesel traction and only 11 km of double track. Half of the network is closed, freight trains circulating branches in Montevideo
- Rivera
- Livramento
, Piedra Sola - Three Trees , Sayago
- Minas
, Verdum-Plant ANCAP, Carnelli-La Teja, Chamberlain
- Paysandú
- Salto
- Concordia and Algorta - Fray Bentos
. Work has been carried out to reopen the line from August 25 - San Jose -Ombucitos, having reopened the stretch to San Jose for passenger services in December 2006.
, 205 km from Montevideo
. However, for more than a decade they had submitted projects to no avail. The first 18 km branch between Bella Vista and Las Piedras
, was inaugurated on 1 January 1869. To continue the extension of the line and due to lack of capital in the country, many loans were contracted in London
, where, as a control, a directory was established.
Due to financial problems and high costs of the national administration, the British acquired the majority stake. The Central Uruguay Railway, the largest British
companies operating in the country, was formally born on 1 January 1878.
By this time several companies had appeared, although they were started by national capitals, they ended under British control as of not finding capital in the country to complete the works.
had with Uruguay because of purchases made during the Second World War.
- Pan de Azucar
: (1903–1958), km 393-Arrozal 33: and km 110 - Cantera Burgueño: . All were dismantled. There were also several quarry lines of gauge, among them the famous INDARE sand line. Around 300 m of that sand line is preserved and also a lot of steam locomotives. One of those is in working order. Also, a new narrow gauge line, of around 1 km, with two diesel locomotives from the former km 110 - Cantera Burgueño line, was constructed in a park on the town of Santiago Vazquez, in the West of Montevideo.
and 25 de Agosto (63 km) since August 26, 1993 (previously all regular passenger services were withdrawn on January 2, 1988). One daily train was extended to San José de Mayo
(96 km from Montevideo) on January 15, 2007, and other was extended from 25 de Agosto to Florida
(109 km from Montevideo) on January 2, 2008. Another line, which operates between Montevideo and Ingeniero Victor Sudriers, was reopened on December 15, 2005 (44 km).
railway of the central main line. The contract for the repair of railways covers in particular the section from Pintado (Florida
) and Chamberlain (Tacuarembó
) based on the change of wooden ties
, and from there to Rivera on the border with Brazil, part of the international branch located along the border with the city of Santana do Livramento
, in Rio Grande do Sul
, Brazil
using rail supplied by Russia given in lieu of a debt and wooden ties imported from Paraguay. The programme will cost US$30m.
- freight rail connection over the Salto Grande Dam
. Passenger service was reinaugurated on this line on August 29, 2011. Brazil
- break-of-gauge
, gauge (Uruguay) / gauge (Santana do Livramento
, Brazil).
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
- Rivera
Rivera
Rivera is the capital of Rivera Department of Uruguay. It is located at the north end of Route 5, on the border with Brazil. The Brazilian city of Santana do Livramento is right across the border, only a street away of it...
- Livramento
Santana do Livramento
Santana do Livramento is a city in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It is located along the border with the city of Rivera, Uruguay, which helps form an international city of 200,000 inhabitants.- Overview :...
, Piedra Sola - Three Trees , Sayago
Sayago, Montevideo
Sayago is a barrio of Montevideo, Uruguay.Bordering Colón and next to El Prado, Sayago is limited by the streets Millán, Av. Raffo, General Máximo Santos and Eugenio Garzón.- External links :*...
- Minas
Minas, Uruguay
Minas is the capital of the Lavalleja Department in Uruguay. It is located in the south of the department, on the intersection of Route 8 with Route 12. The city is situated between hill ranges and the basins of the streams Arroyo San Francisco and Arroyo Campanero. Its status was elevated to...
, Verdum-Plant ANCAP, Carnelli-La Teja, Chamberlain
Chamberlain, Uruguay
Chamberlain is a village or populated centre of Tacuarembó Department, in northern Uruguay. It is connected by railway with the city of Paysandú.-Population:It is home to 51 people.Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Uruguay-External links:...
- Paysandú
Paysandú
-Transportation:The city is served by Tydeo Larre Borges International Airport.-Climate:Paysandú has a humid subtropical climate, described by the Köppen climate classification as Cfa. Summers are warm to hot and winters are cool, with the occurrence of frosts and fog...
- Salto
Salto
Salto may refer to:*Salto, a Latin word for "to leap/jump", and in gymnastics refers to a somersault* Glasflügel H-101 "Salto" -Organisations:...
- Concordia and Algorta - Fray Bentos
Fray Bentos
Fray Bentos, the capital of the Río Negro Department of western Uruguay, is a port on the Uruguay River. It is close to the border with Argentina and about due north of Buenos Aires.-History:...
. Work has been carried out to reopen the line from August 25 - San Jose -Ombucitos, having reopened the stretch to San Jose for passenger services in December 2006.
- Overview
- Total rail network: 2,835 km
- Standard gaugeStandard gaugeThe standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
: – 2,835 km - In service: 1,507 km
- Out of service: 1,328 km
History
The work of building the first railway line in Uruguay began April 25, 1867, a branch between Paso del Molino and Cerro which consisted horse-drawn train. The national "Ferrocarril Central" had obtained the concession for the laying of tracks to DuraznoDurazno
Durazno is the capital of Durazno in Uruguay. It is located at the intersection of Routes 5 and 41, in the south of the department, close to the borders with the departments of Flores to the southwest and Florida| to the southeast. It is only northeast of the city of Trinidad, capital of Flores...
, 205 km from Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
. However, for more than a decade they had submitted projects to no avail. The first 18 km branch between Bella Vista and Las Piedras
Las Piedras, Uruguay
Las Piedras is a city in the Canelones Department of Uruguay. It is located on the east side of Route 5, north of the border with Montevideo Department. Bordering La Paz to the south and Montevideo to the southeast, it belongs to the wider metropolitan area of Montevideo...
, was inaugurated on 1 January 1869. To continue the extension of the line and due to lack of capital in the country, many loans were contracted in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where, as a control, a directory was established.
Due to financial problems and high costs of the national administration, the British acquired the majority stake. The Central Uruguay Railway, the largest British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
companies operating in the country, was formally born on 1 January 1878.
By this time several companies had appeared, although they were started by national capitals, they ended under British control as of not finding capital in the country to complete the works.
Nationalization
Following what was then a worldwide trend, the private companies were nationalised in 1948, the parliament approved the projects for the acquisition of foreign railroads, charging and part of the debt of 17 billion pounds that the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
had with Uruguay because of purchases made during the Second World War.
Narrow gauge
There were four big narrow gauge railway lines in Uruguay: Puerto del Sauce (now Juan Lacaze) - Terminal: , (1901–1959), PiriápolisPiriápolis
Piriápolis is a city in the Maldonado Department of Uruguay. It is located on the coast of Río de la Plata, on Route 10 and its intersection with Route 37. It is about east of the national capital, Montevideo . Piriápolis is an important summer resort in the country, predating the larger and more...
- Pan de Azucar
Pan De Azúcar, Uruguay
Pan de Azúcar is a city in the southwest of the Maldonado Department in Uruguay. It is located on the junction of Route 7 with Route 60, north-northest of Piriápolis and about west-northwest from the capital city, Maldonado. Its status was elevated to "City" on 7 September 1961 by decree Ley...
: (1903–1958), km 393-Arrozal 33: and km 110 - Cantera Burgueño: . All were dismantled. There were also several quarry lines of gauge, among them the famous INDARE sand line. Around 300 m of that sand line is preserved and also a lot of steam locomotives. One of those is in working order. Also, a new narrow gauge line, of around 1 km, with two diesel locomotives from the former km 110 - Cantera Burgueño line, was constructed in a park on the town of Santiago Vazquez, in the West of Montevideo.
Passenger services
Regular passenger services are operated between MontevideoMontevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
and 25 de Agosto (63 km) since August 26, 1993 (previously all regular passenger services were withdrawn on January 2, 1988). One daily train was extended to San José de Mayo
San José de Mayo
San José de Mayo is the capital city of the San José Department in southern Uruguay. It is located at the centre of the department, on the intersection of Route 3 with Route 11, from the centre of Montevideo. The railroad track connecting Montevideo with Colonia and with the northwest of the...
(96 km from Montevideo) on January 15, 2007, and other was extended from 25 de Agosto to Florida
Florida, Uruguay
Florida is the capital of Florida Department of Uruguay. It is located on Route 5, around north of Montevideo. The stream Arroyo Santa Lucía Chico flows along the east and south limits of the city...
(109 km from Montevideo) on January 2, 2008. Another line, which operates between Montevideo and Ingeniero Victor Sudriers, was reopened on December 15, 2005 (44 km).
Renovation plans
The state railway administration AFE has announced that starting January, 2010, 377 km of track will be renewed on the Pintado - RiveraRivera
Rivera is the capital of Rivera Department of Uruguay. It is located at the north end of Route 5, on the border with Brazil. The Brazilian city of Santana do Livramento is right across the border, only a street away of it...
railway of the central main line. The contract for the repair of railways covers in particular the section from Pintado (Florida
Florida Department
Florida is a department of Uruguay. Its capital of is Florida.-Population and Demographics:As of the census of 2004, there were 68,181 people and 21,938 households in the department. The average household size was 3.1...
) and Chamberlain (Tacuarembó
Tacuarembó Department
Tacuarembó is the largest department of Uruguay. Its capital is Tacuarembó.-Population and Demographics:As of the census of 2004, there were 90,489 people and 28,054 households in the department. The average household size was 3.2...
) based on the change of wooden ties
Railroad tie
A railroad tie/railway tie , or railway sleeper is a rectangular item used to support the rails in railroad tracks...
, and from there to Rivera on the border with Brazil, part of the international branch located along the border with the city of Santana do Livramento
Santana do Livramento
Santana do Livramento is a city in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It is located along the border with the city of Rivera, Uruguay, which helps form an international city of 200,000 inhabitants.- Overview :...
, in Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
using rail supplied by Russia given in lieu of a debt and wooden ties imported from Paraguay. The programme will cost US$30m.
International links
ArgentinaRail transport in Argentina
The Argentine railway network comprised of track at the end of the Second World War and was, in its time, one of the most extensive and prosperous in South America. However, with the increase in highway construction, there followed a sharp decline in railway profitability, leading to the break-up...
- freight rail connection over the Salto Grande Dam
Salto Grande Dam
The Salto Grande Dam is a large hydroelectric dam on the Uruguay River, located between Concordia, Argentina, and Salto, Uruguay; thus is shared between the two countries....
. Passenger service was reinaugurated on this line on August 29, 2011. Brazil
Rail transport in Brazil
Rail transport in Brazil began in the 19th century and there were many different railway companies. The railways were nationalised under RFFSA in 1957...
- break-of-gauge
Break-of-gauge
With railways, a break-of-gauge occurs where a line of one gauge meets a line of a different gauge. Trains and rolling stock cannot run through without some form of conversion between gauges, and freight and passengers must otherwise be transloaded...
, gauge (Uruguay) / gauge (Santana do Livramento
Santana do Livramento
Santana do Livramento is a city in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It is located along the border with the city of Rivera, Uruguay, which helps form an international city of 200,000 inhabitants.- Overview :...
, Brazil).
See also
- Rail transport by countryRail transport by countryThis page provides an index of articles on Rail transport by country.Other indexes available include:*List of railway companies by country*List of countries by rail transport network size*Rail usage statistics by country...
- Railway stations in UruguayRailway stations in Uruguay- Maps :* - Existing :* Montevideo - national capital and port* lorenzo carnelli* Canelones* Rodriguez* Mal Abrigo - junction* Colonia del Sacremento----* Mal Abrigo* Fray Bentos - railhead near Argentina border.- Proposed :...
- Transport in UruguayTransport in UruguayTransport in nation of Uruguay consists of 2,835 km of rail network, 8,983 km of roads, 1,600 km of navigable waterways, and 15 airports/landing fields serviced by the national airline PLUNA.-Railways:total:2835.558 km...