[[Image:TransAndean1932image.jpg|300px|thumb|right| Advertisement from ''Traveller's Guide to the Argentine'' (Guia del Viajero a la Argentina) number 13, July–December 1932, page 42, inside rear cover]] The '''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 == {{Main|Rail transport in Colombia}}

* Feb 2011 - The Chinese Government plans to cooperate with Colombia in building a 220&nbsp;km transcontinental railway which would link Colombia's Atlantic and Pacific coasts, according to a British newspaper.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ww4report.com/node/9495|title=China to build inter-oceanic rail link through Colombia}}</ref>

== Ecuador Trans-Andean Railway == Much of [[Ecuador]]'s '''Trans-Andean Railway''' (a railway network that once ran from [[Guayaquil]] to [[Quito]]) has been rendered useless by natural disasters. Torrential rains from the 1982–83 and 1997-98 [[El Niño]] caused massive landslides that damaged the railway line. The network is operated by '''[[Empresa de Ferrocarriles Ecuatorianos]]'''. Only three sections remain operational: a {{convert|37|mi|km|adj=on|order=flip}} segment connecting [[Quito]] and [[Cotopaxi National Park]], a {{convert|27|mi|km|1|adj=on|order=flip}} stretch between [[Ibarra, Ecuador|Ibarra]] and [[Primer Paso]], and the mountainous five-hour, {{convert|62|mi|km|0|abbr=on|order=flip}} excursion from [[Riobamba]] to [[Sibambe]].

== Peru == {{main|Rail transport in Peru}} Although wholly within [[Peru]], the '''[[Ferrocarril Central Andino]]''' (FCCA; the former Ferrocarril Central del Perú) running inland from [[Callao]] and [[Lima]] crosses the Andes watershed at [[Galera railway station|Galera]] ''en route'' to [[La Oroya]] and [[Huancayo]].<ref name="Fawcett">{{cite book|last=Fawcett|first=Brian|title=Railways of the Andes|edition=2nd|publisher=Plateway Press|location=East Harling|year=1997|isbn=1-871980-31-3}}</ref> From here the route is extended by the [[Ferrocarril Huancayo - Huancavelica]]. In July 2006 FCCA began work to [[Gauge conversion|regauge]] the [[Huancavelica]] line from {{RailGauge|3ft|first=met}} to {{RailGauge|4ft8.5in|first=met}} ([[standard gauge]]). There was also a proposal for a {{convert|21|km|mi|abbr=on}} tunnel under the Andes.<ref>{{cite news|title=Huancavelica upgrade|work=[[Railway Gazette International]]|date=2006-06-01|url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view//huancavelica-upgrade.html|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531202455/http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/huancavelica-upgrade.html|archivedate=2012-05-31}}</ref>

The '''Ferrocarriles del Sur del Perú''' (FCS), now operated by [[PeruRail]], runs from the coast at [[Matarani]] to [[Cusco|Cuzco]], and to [[Puno]] on [[Lake Titicaca]] from where steamers and [[Train ferry#Peru|train ferries]] have been run connecting with [[Guaqui]] in [[Bolivia]].<ref name="Whetham 2">{{cite book|author=Whetham, Robert D.|title=Railways of Peru | volume=2 – The Central and Southern Lines|publisher=Trackside Publications|location=Bristol|year=2008|isbn=978-1-900095-37-2}}</ref>

== Proposed Bolivia-Chile Trans-Andean railway == Empresa Nacional de Ferrocarriles - ENFE, operator of the National Railways of [[Bolivia]], and consultant Hagler Bailly, United States, have signed a contract to undertake an economic feasibility study into the proposed $US 1 billion 338&nbsp;km [[Aiquile]]&ndash;[[Santa Cruz de la Sierra|Santa Cruz]] Railway (IRJ July p6). The line would connect the Eastern Railway network with the Andean Railway network, and effectively create a new trans-Andean railway from Pacific Ocean ports in [[Chile]] to the port of [[Santos, São Paulo|Santos]] in Brazil.<ref>''[[International Railway Journal|IRJ]]'' October 1999</ref>

Other Bolivia-Chile railways: * [[Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia]] * [[Arica–La Paz railway]], [[Arica]], Chile–[[La Paz]]

== Proposed Peru - Brazil Railway == {{main|Trans-Amazonian Railway}} In 2014, proposals were advanced by [[ProInversión]] for the above railway.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.railpage.com.au/f-t11362664.htm|title=Railpage}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.railpage.com.au/f-p1561611.htm#1561611|title = Railpage}}</ref>

* [[Ucayali]] - western [[Brazil]] * [[Huánuco]] - [[Peru]] * [[Pasco Province|Pasco]] - [[Peru]] * [[San Martin Province|San Martin]] - [[Peru]] * [[Amazonas (Brazilian state)|Amazonas]] - Brazil * [[Cajamarca]] - [[Peru]] * [[Piura]] - [[Peru]] - near Pacific coast in north

== Argentina - Chile ==

* (from North)

=== Salta-Antofagasta railway === The [[Salta–Antofagasta railway|Huaytiquina railway]] is a single {{RailGauge|1000mm}} gauge linking [[Salta]], Argentina, to [[Antofagasta]], Chile. The ''[[Tren a las Nubes]]'' is a [[Heritage railway|touristic service]] running for {{convert|217|km|mi}} on the Argentinian side.

=== Transandine Railway === The central [[Transandine Railway]] from [[Valparaíso]], Chile, to [[Mendoza, Argentina]] is defunct, pending reconstruction.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.seconstruye.com/webnoticia/asp/interior.asp?id%3D17067 |accessdate=2023-05-26 |title=En julio se licitará tren Los Andes - Mendoza |lang=es |date=March 24, 2006 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070310140626/http://www.seconstruye.com/webnoticia/asp/interior.asp?id=17067 |archivedate=March 10, 2007 }}</ref> While Chile and large parts of Argentina both use the same {{RailGauge|1676mm}} gauge, the connecting [[Ferrocarril Trasandino Los Andes - Mendoza]] used a [[narrow gauge railway|narrow gauge]] of {{RailGauge|1000mm}} with [[Rack railway#Abt|rack railway]] sections. Thus there are two [[break-of-gauge]] stations, one at [[Los Andes, Chile]] and the other at Mendoza.

In 2009, a deal was signed to build a {{Track gauge|1676mm|lk=on}}, [[Track gauge|single gauge]], [[base tunnel]] connecting Chile and Argentina{{Citation needed|date=March 2013}}.

=== South Trans-Andean railway ===<!-- This section is linked from [[Transportation in Argentina]] --> * from [[Lonquimay]] (Chile) to [[Zapala]] (Argentina) &ndash; construction abandoned.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://railwaysofthefarsouth.co.uk/5ftrasandinosur.html |title=Attempts to cross the border |work=Railways of the Far South |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929024056/http://railwaysofthefarsouth.co.uk/5ftrasandinosur.html |archivedate=September 29, 2007 }}</ref> {{convert|220|km|mi}} line once again proposed in 2005<ref>''[[International Railway Journal|IRJ]]'' March 2005</ref> and work underway at Chilean end in 2005; first stage completed by early 2006.<ref>{{cite news|title=Work starts on trans-Andean link|work=[[Railway Gazette International]]|date=2005-02-01|url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view//work-starts-on-trans-andean-link.html}}</ref> Possible [[break-of-gauge]] and [[rack railway]].<ref>{{cite news|title=IIRSA |publisher=Initiative For Regional Infrastructure Integration In South America |date=2005-09-01 |url=http://www.iadb.org/biz/ppt/092305tuliod.pdf |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070628071653/http://www.iadb.org/biz/ppt/092305tuliod.pdf |archivedate=June 28, 2007 }}</ref> * from [[Osorno, Chile]] to [[Bariloche]] &ndash; never built.

== BiOceanio == * (2010) * Brazil - Paraguay - Argentina - Chile <ref>http://www.bioceanicoaconcagua.cl/corredorBioceanico/en/historia.html {{Dead link|date=March 2022}}</ref> * {{flagicon|Chile}} [[Mejillones]] * {{flagicon|Chile}} [[Antofagasta]] * {{flagicon|Brazil}} [[Paranaguá]] * {{flagicon|Brazil}} [[São Francisco do Sul]]

== See also == * [[Panama Canal Railway]] * [[Railway stations in Peru]] * [[Track gauge in South America]] * [[Tren a las Nubes]]

==References== {{reflist|2}}

==External links== * [http://www.mecon.gov.ar/download/okita/okita7/sumary.doc Mercosur report on links] - Argentine Ministry of Economy (doc format)

[[Category:Railway lines in Argentina]] [[Category:Rail transport in Bolivia]] [[Category:Rail transport in Chile]] [[Category:Rail transport in Colombia]] [[Category:Rail transport in Ecuador]] [[Category:Rail transport in Peru]] [[Category:Rail transport in South America]] [[Category:International railway lines]] [[Category:Andes]] [[Category:Mountain railways]]