Transportation in Chile
Encyclopedia
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
is mostly by road. The south of the country is not connected to central Chile by road, except through Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, and water transport also plays a part there. The railways were historically important in Chile, but now play a relatively small part in the country's transport system. Because of the country's geography and long distances between major cities, aviation is also important.
Highways
- total: 79,800 km
- paved: 41,012 km
- unpaved: 38,788 km (1996 est.)
- Chile Highway 5Chile Highway 5Chile Highway 5 or Route 5 known locally as Ruta 5 is Chile's longest route. It is part of the Panamerican Highway.-Stretch:It runs from the Peruvian border connecting with Peru Highway 1 north of Arica to Puerto Montt where it connects by ferry to the island of Chiloé...
- Chile Highway 7
- Chile Highway 9Route 9-CHright|thumb|250px|View of the village of Morro Chico halfway between [[Puerto Natales]] and [[Punta Arenas]]. The road in picture is Route 9-CHThe Chilean highway Route 9 runs from the Brunswick Peninsula south of Punta Arenas north to Paso Baguales Oriental at the border with Argentina in Torres...
- Chile Highway 68
- Chile Highway 181Route 181-CHthumb|200px|Route 181-CHthumb|200px|[[Las Raíces Tunnel]], part of Route 181-CHRoute 181-CH is a branch line road going eastward from Chile Highway 5 at Victoria to Pino Hachado Pass at the border to Argentina. Through its length the road passes along or close to the cities and towns of Victoria...
Freeways
2,653 km- hile Freeway 6]
- Chile Freeway 8
- Chile Autopista del Sol
- Chile Autopista del Itata
Buses
Arica, Chile
Arica is a commune and a port city with a population of 185,269 in the Arica Province of northern Chile's Arica and Parinacota Region, located only south of the border with Peru. The city is the capital of both the Arica Province and the Arica and Parinacota Region...
to Santiago
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
(a 30 hour journey) and from Santiago to Punta Arenas (about 40 hours, with a change at Osorno
Osorno, Chile
Osorno is a city and commune in southern Chile and capital of Osorno Province in the Los Lagos Region. It had a population of 145,475, as of the 2002 census...
). There are also international services to most other countries in South America. Longer-distance services are mostly on semi-cama (reclining seat) or cama (sleeper) buses, often double deck.
Santiago
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
began its public bus system Transantiago
Transantiago
Transantiago is a public transport system that serves Santiago, the capital of Chile. It is considered the most ambitious transport reform undertaken by a developing country according to the World Resources Institute....
in 2007.
Concepción
Concepción, Chile
Concepción is a city in Chile, capital of Concepción Province and of the Biobío Region or Region VIII. Greater Concepción is the second-largest conurbation in the country, with 889,725 inhabitants...
's "Bio Bus" integrates with the electric train, Biotren
Biotren
The similar system for Metro of Concepción or Biotren is basic at grade urban commuter rail system that covers a big part of the city of Concepción, capital of the region of Bío-Bío, also known as Gran Concepción or Concepción Metropolitan Area, both synonyms of "city" according to the urbanistic...
, and is based on a dedicated right of way for buses.
Railways
Rail transport in Chile- total: 6,782 km
- broad gaugeBroad gaugeBroad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
: 3,743 km gauge (1,653 km electrified) - narrow gauge: 116 km gaugeCape gaugeCape gauge is a track gauge of between the inside of the rail heads and is classified as narrow gauge. It has installations of around .The gauge was first used by Norwegian engineer Carl Abraham Pihl and the first line was opened in 1862.- Nomenclature :...
; 2,923 km gauge (40 km electrified) (1995) - 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...
: about 40 km from AricaArica, ChileArica is a commune and a port city with a population of 185,269 in the Arica Province of northern Chile's Arica and Parinacota Region, located only south of the border with Peru. The city is the capital of both the Arica Province and the Arica and Parinacota Region...
to TacnaTacna- Rail :Tacna is served by a cross-border standard gauge railway to Arica, Chile.It is also the location of the National Railway Museum of Peru.-Air:Tacna is served by the Crnl. FAP...
, 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....
Not all lines connect.
Chile's railways (except for a few dedicated industrial lines
) are operated by the state owned company 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:...
(EFE), which completed a major investment programme in 2005.
The rail system once served the entire country, running rail lines from Arica in the north to Puerto Montt in the south. Due partly to the nature of the terrain and evolution in transportation systems, rail travel has suffered greatly at the hands of bus and air competition. The train usually takes longer to reach a destination than a bus, and the comfort is comparable. Prices also tend to be uncompetitive. Rail freight transport has also suffered at the hands of the trucking industry and will continue to do so due to the immense leverage the truck driver's union can bring to bear if they were to feel threatened.
The Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia
Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia
The 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...
is a metre gauge railway in the north of the country. It was originally constructed in gauge.
The northern rail line out of Santiago
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
is now disused past the intersection with the Valparaíso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
line. Until there it is used nearly exclusively for freight. Although the rest of the northern line is still in place, it is in a state of serious disrepair.
The southern line runs as far as Puerto Montt
Puerto Montt
Puerto Montt is a port city and commune in southern Chile, located at the northern end of the Reloncaví Sound in the Llanquihue Province, Los Lagos Region. The commune spans an area of and had a population of 175,938 in 2002. It is located 1,055 km to the south of the capital, Santiago...
and is electrified as far as the city of Temuco
Temuco
Temuco is a city and commune, capital of the Cautín Province and of the Araucanía Region in southern Chile. The name comes from the Mapudungun language, meaning "temu water"; "temu" is a tree used by Mapuches for medicinal purposes. The city is located 670 km south of Santiago...
, from where diesel locomotives are used. Due to lack of budget and care, the 389 km Temuco to Puerto Montt section was abandoned in 1992 but after a $44m upgrade it has been back in use since 6 December 2005 with daily service between Victoria (north of Temuco) and Puerto Montt; today, however only the service between Victoria and Temuco still operates.
Work to build/restore(?) the South Trans-Andean Railway
Trans-Andean Railways
Trans-Andean railways provide rail transport over the Andes. Several are either planned, built, defunct, or waiting to be restored. They are listed here in order from north to south.- Colombian Railways :...
link between Zapala
Zapala
Zapala is a city in the Patagonian province of Neuquén, Argentina with about 32,000 inhabitants according to the .The city is located at the geographic center of the province at the confluence of national and provincial roads, on a route to the Andes and Chile...
, Argentina and Lonquimay
Lonquimay
Lonquimay is a town and commune in the Malleco Province of southern Chile's Araucanía Region.- Transport :It is the terminus of an abandoned broad gauge railway project which supporters cited as the most practical railway route through the Andes to Argentina, but which lacks a link between...
, Chile was underway in 2005. Possible 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...
. Possible 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...
.
Construction was undertaken by Patagonia Ferrocanal SA, formed and funded by the province. The first 7 km was completed by January 2006.
There have been repeated case studies regarding the installation of a high speed line between the cities of Valparaíso and Santiago, some even considering maglev trains, but no serious action has ever been taken on the matter.
Rail links with adjacent countries
Bolivia - yes - same gauge - from AricaArica, Chile
Arica is a commune and a port city with a population of 185,269 in the Arica Province of northern Chile's Arica and Parinacota Region, located only south of the border with Peru. The city is the capital of both the Arica Province and the Arica and Parinacota Region...
to 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...
, Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
-
- BoliviaRail transport in BoliviaThe Bolivian rail network has had a peculiar development throughout its history, owing to losses of land, prestige and credit rating due to the failure of the War of the Pacific, railway development came late to Bolivia. The demand for mineral wealth and communication to the inland city of La Paz,...
Argentina - Central Trans-Andean Railway - abandoned 1984 – 100 km of mountain railwayMountain railwayA mountain railway is a railway that ascends and descends a mountain slope that has a steep grade. Such railways can use a number of different technologies to overcome the steepness of the grade...
of gauge with rack railwayRack railwayA 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...
sections - break of gauge / at either end. Concession planned to re-open line.
- Bolivia
-
- ArgentinaRail transport in ArgentinaThe 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...
Peru - yes - a single gauge connection between the northern Chilean city of AricaArica, ChileArica is a commune and a port city with a population of 185,269 in the Arica Province of northern Chile's Arica and Parinacota Region, located only south of the border with Peru. The city is the capital of both the Arica Province and the Arica and Parinacota Region...
and TacnaTacna- Rail :Tacna is served by a cross-border standard gauge railway to Arica, Chile.It is also the location of the National Railway Museum of Peru.-Air:Tacna is served by the Crnl. FAP...
in Southern Peru. - PeruRail transport in PeruRail transport in Peru has never consisted of a true network, primarily comprising separate lines running inland from the coast.Many of the lines owe their origins to contracts granted to United States entrepreneurs Henry Meiggs and W. R. Grace and Company but the mountainous nature of Peru made...
- Argentina
Cities with Metros
- Santiago (Metro de Santiago) website
- Valparaíso website
- ConcepciónConcepción, ChileConcepción is a city in Chile, capital of Concepción Province and of the Biobío Region or Region VIII. Greater Concepción is the second-largest conurbation in the country, with 889,725 inhabitants...
(BiotrenBiotrenThe similar system for Metro of Concepción or Biotren is basic at grade urban commuter rail system that covers a big part of the city of Concepción, capital of the region of Bío-Bío, also known as Gran Concepción or Concepción Metropolitan Area, both synonyms of "city" according to the urbanistic...
)
Ports
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Punta Arenas, Chile Punta Arenas is a commune and the capital city of Chile's southernmost region, Magallanes and Antartica Chilena. The city was officially renamed Magallanes in 1927, but in 1938 it was changed back to Punta Arenas... San Antonio, Chile San Antonio, meaning "Saint Anthony", is a major Chilean port and a commune in San Antonio Province, Valparaíso Region... |
|
Merchant marine
total: 45 ships ( or over) totaling /ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
s by type: (1999 est.)
|
Passenger ship A passenger ship is a ship whose primary function is to carry passengers. The category does not include cargo vessels which have accommodations for limited numbers of passengers, such as the ubiquitous twelve-passenger freighters once common on the seas in which the transport of passengers is... s 3 Ferry A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services... 2 |
Airports - with paved runways
- total: 62
- over 3,047 m: 6
- 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
- 1,524 to 2,437 m: 20
- 914 to 1,523 m: 20
- under 914 m: 10 (1999 est.)
Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport, located in Santiago, is Chile's largest aviation facility.
Airports - with unpaved runways
- total: 310
- over 3,047 m: 1
- 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
- 1,524 to 2,437 m: 12
- 914 to 1,523 m: 68
- under 914 m: 223 (1999 est.)
National airlines
- LAN Airlines (formerly LanChile)
- Sky AirlineSky AirlineSky Airline is an airline based at Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport in Santiago, Chile. It is the second largest airline in the country behind rival LAN Airlines, and mostly relies on domestic services.- History :...
- Principal Airlines
Chacao Channel
Chacao Channel bridgeChacao Channel bridge
The Chacao Channel bridge, officially decreed Chiloé Bicentennial Bridge, was a planned suspension bridge that was to link the island of Chiloé with mainland Chile crossing the Chacao Channel. It was one of the several projects that were planned to commemorate the Chile's bicentennial in 2010...
is a planned suspension bridge
Suspension bridge
A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck is hung below suspension cables on vertical suspenders. Outside Tibet and Bhutan, where the first examples of this type of bridge were built in the 15th century, this type of bridge dates from the early 19th century...
that was to link the island of Chiloé
Chiloé Island
Chiloé Island , also known as Greater Island of Chiloé , is the largest island of the Chiloé Archipelago off the coast of Chile, in the Pacific Ocean...
with mainland Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
crossing the Chacao Channel
Chacao Channel
The Chacao Channel is located in Los Lagos Region, Chile and separates Chiloé Island from mainland Chile. The channel was created during the Quaternary glaciations by successive glaciers that flowed down fron the Andes to the coast...
. It was one of the several projects that were planned to commemorate the Chile's bicentennial in 2010. If completed, it would have been the largest suspension bridge in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
Pipelines
- crude oil 755 km
- petroleum products 780 km
- natural gasNatural gasNatural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
320 km
Mountain passes
- Cardenal Antonio Samoré PassCardenal Antonio Samoré PassCardenal Antonio Samoré Pass it is one of the main mountain pass through the southern Andes along the border between Argentina and Chile.Together with Paso Libertadores, it is one of the easiest of the Argentina-Chile passes, and one of the few with asphalted roads in the region...
, Los Lagos RegionLos Lagos RegionLos Lagos Region is one of Chile's 15 regions, which are first order administrative divisions, and comprises four provinces: Chiloé, Llanquihue, Osorno and Palena. The region contains the country's second largest island, Chiloé, and the second largest lake, Llanquihue.Its capital is Puerto Montt;...
, Route 215-CHRoute 215-CHthumb|250px|right|Image of Route 215-CH between [[Puyehue Lake]] and [[Golgol River|Golgol Valley]]Route 215-CH is a branch line road going eastward from Osorno at Chile Highway 5 to Cardenal Antonio Samoré Pass at the border to Argentina... - Carirriñe PassCarirriñe PassCarirriñe Pass is an international mountain pass in the Andes between Chile and Argentina. The pass connects Coñaripe and Liquiñe in Chile with Junín de los Andes in Argentina. At the site of the pass some of the southernmost Araucaria trees grows. The road is not paved and the pass may be closed...
, Los Ríos RegionLos Ríos RegionThe XIV Los Ríos Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions. Its capital is Valdivia. Pop. 356,396 . It began to operate as region on October 2, 2007. It was created by subdividing the Los Lagos Region in southern Chile... - Chungara–Tambo QuemadoChungara–Tambo QuemadoChungara–Tambo Quemado is a mountain pass through the Cordillera Occidental of the Andes along the border between Chile and Bolivia. Chungara–Tambo Quemado is one of the principal Chile-Bolivia passes in the central Andes as it connects La Paz with its nearest seaport Arica....
, Arica and Parinacota Region - Paso de JamaPaso de JamaThe Paso de Jama is a mountain pass through the Andes between Chile and Argentina, at an altitude of about . It is the northernmost road border crossing between the two countries....
, Antofagasta RegionAntofagasta RegionThe II Antofagasta Region is one of Chile's fifteen first-order administrative divisions. It comprises three provinces, Antofagasta, El Loa and Tocopilla... - Huahum PassHuahum PassHuahum Pass is an international mountain pass in the Andes between Chile and Argentina. The pass takes its name from the Huahum River that flows from Argentina into Chile at the site of the border crossing. Even though the pass does not go through the continental divide, it crosses the highest...
, Los Ríos Region - Icalma International Pass, Araucanía RegionAraucanía RegionThe IX Araucanía Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions and comprises two provinces: Malleco in the north and Cautín in the south....
- Paso Internacional Los Libertadores, Valparaíso RegionValparaíso RegionThe V Valparaíso Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions.Valparaíso Region, 2006 With the country's third highest population of 1,539,852 million in 2002 and third smallest area of , the region is Chile's second most densely populated after the Santiago Metropolitan Region...
- Lilpela PassLilpela PassIpela or Lilpela is a mountain pass through the Andes along the border between Chile and Argentina. It is most notable for being the pass used by Pablo Neruda to flee from Chile in 1949. The pass is not outfitted as an international border crossing. During summer months Carabineros guards the...
, Los Ríos Region - Paso de Los PatosPaso de Los PatosThe Paso de Los Patos is an Andine mountain pass between Argentina and Chile, used by the main column of the Army of the Andes to cross the Andes in early 1817, in order to liberate Chile from Spain...
, Valparaíso Region - Mamuil Malal PassMamuil Malal PassMamuil Malal Pass is an international mountain pass in the Andes between Chile and Argentina. The pass connects Pucón and Curarrehue in Chile with Junín de los Andes in Argentina. The road is paved on the Argentinian side and passes just north of Lanín Volcano . During winter the pass may close...
, Araucanía RegionAraucanía RegionThe IX Araucanía Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions and comprises two provinces: Malleco in the north and Cautín in the south.... - Pino Hachado PassPino Hachado PassPino Hachado Pass is a mountain pass through the Andes, joining Chile and Argentina. It is one of the principal passes of the southern Andes, connecting Argentina's route RN-22 and Chile's Route 181-CH....
, Araucanía Region - San Francisco PassSan Francisco PassThe San Francisco Pass is one of the most important passes of the Andes mountains which connects Argentina and Chile. The highest point of this pass is at AMSL.- Location :...
, Atacama RegionAtacama RegionThe Atacama Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions. It comprises three provinces, Chañaral, Copiapó and Huasco. It is bordered to the north by Antofagasta, to the south by Coquimbo, to east with Provinces of Catamarca, La Rioja and San Juan of Argentina, and to west with... - Uspallata PassUspallata PassThe Uspallata Pass or Bermejo Pass is an Andean pass which provides a route between the wine-growing region around the Argentine city of Mendoza, the Chilean city Los Andes and Santiago the Chilean capital situated in the central Chilean valley...
, Valparaíso Region
See also
- ChileChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
- TransantiagoTransantiagoTransantiago is a public transport system that serves Santiago, the capital of Chile. It is considered the most ambitious transport reform undertaken by a developing country according to the World Resources Institute....
- Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del EstadoEmpresa de los Ferrocarriles del EstadoEmpresa 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:...
(EFE) - 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...