Ramal Talca-Constitución

{{main|History of rail transport in Chile}}

File:Puente Banco Arena.JPG

Rail transport came to the Maule Region 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, 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).{{Cite web|url=http://www.trencentral.cl/link.cgi/servicios/buscarrileng/history.act|title=Buscarril English - History of Ramal|website=tmsa.cl|access-date=2016-06-20}}

Construction of the line took almost 25 years, under seven governments:

1. Jose Manuel Balmaceda (1886-1891)
2. Jorge Montt Alvarez (1891-1896)
3. Federico Errazuriz Echaurren (1896-1901)
4. Germán Riesco (1901-1906)
5. Pedro Montt Montt (1906-1910)
6. Emiliano Figueroa (September–December 1910)
7. Ramon Barros Luco (1910-1915)
8. Juan Luis Sanfuentes (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.

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.

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• Name - Ramal Talca-Constitución or Ramal de Maule
• Home station - Talca
• Terminus - Constitución
• Location - Talca Province, Maule Region
• Distance - 88 km
• Opening date - {{Start date and age|1892|08|13}}
• 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 - {{convert|25.5|m}}

File:Talca downtown.jpg skyline]]

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 {{convert|35|km}} from the road linking the cities of Talca and Curepto).{{Cite web|url=http://www.trencentral.cl/link.cgi/servicios/buscarril/|title=Buscarril|website=tmsa.cl|access-date=2016-06-20 |language=es }} 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 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.{{Cite web|url=http://mtt.gob.cl/archivos/11852|title=En Región del Maule Ministro de Transportes y Telecomunicaciones inspecciona avances en diversos proyectos de movilidad y conectividad {{!}} Ministerio de Transportes y Telecomunicaciones|last=Telecomunicaciones|first=Ministerio de Transportes y|website=mtt.gob.cl|access-date=2016-06-20}}

==Route==

{{Routemap

|title=Ramal Talca-Constitución

|map=

\KBHFa~~Talca

\HST~~Colín

\hKRZWae~~Bridge over the Claro River

\eHST~~Rauquén

\HST~~Corinto

\eHST~~El Morro

\HST~~Curtiduría

\eHST~~Los Llocos

\eHST~~Tricahue

\eHST~~El Peumo

\HST~~González Bastías

\HST~~Toconey

\eHST~~Pichamán Oriente

\HST~~Pichamán

\eHST~~Los Romeros

\eHST~~Los Maquis

\eHST~~Forel

\TUNNEL1~~Quebrada Honda Tunnel

\HST~~Huinganes

\eHST~~Los Digüeñes

\HST~~Maquehua

\eHST~~Astillero

\eHST~~Banco de Arena

\hKRZWae~~Bridge over the Maule River

\KBHFe~~Constitución

}}

Distances below (in kilometers) are approximate.{{cite web|url=http://www.trencentral.cl/link.cgi/servicios/buscarrileng/stations-bridges-and-tunnels.act|title=Stations, Bridges and Tunnels of the Ramal|website=TrenCentral|access-date=May 18, 2017}}

{{glossary}}

{{term|Talca}}

{{defn|The home station, where trains begin daily at 7:30 and 16:45 Chilean time}}

{{term|Colín}}

{{defn|12 km from Talca, its name was derived from a bird (colines) which was once abundant.}}

{{term|Rauquén}}

{{defn|Former station before the bridge crossing the Claro River}}

{{term|Corinto}}

{{defn|Formerly known as Pocoa, it is 27 km from Talca and named after a Greek businessman.}}

{{term|El Morro}}

{{defn|Named for Morro de Arica, in a similar area, it is near the mouth of the Light and Loncomilla Rivers.}}

{{term|Curtiduría}}

{{defn|The first train on the line ran from this station and Talca.}}

{{term|Los Llocos}}

{{defn|The station, 36 km from Talca, is in a village of the same name.}}

{{term|Tricahue}}

{{defn|38 km from Talca, in a former monastery}}

{{term|El Peumo}}

{{defn|41 km from Talca.}}

{{term|González Bastías}}

{{defn|The midpoint of the line (44 km from Talca and Constitution), the station was previously known as Infiernillo.}}

{{term|Toconey}}

{{defn|48 km from Talca and previously known as San Antonio and Tanhuao, it is one of the ramal{{'s}} busiest stations.}}

{{term|Pichamán Oriente}}

{{defn|50.5 km from Talca}}

{{term|Pichamán ("little condor")}}

{{defn|52 km from Talca}}

{{term|Los Romeros}}

{{defn|One of the busiest stations, 55 km from Talca}}

{{term|Los Maquis}}

{{defn|57.5 km from Talca}}

{{term|Forel}}

{{defn|62 km from Talca, it owes its current name to Swiss biologist François-Alphonse Forel (who lived there for several years).}}

{{term|Huinganes}}

{{defn|68 km from Talca, it is one of the line's best-preserved stations and was named after a shrub (huingan) which is abundant in the area.}}

{{term|Los Digüeñes}}

{{defn|The fifth-from-last station}}

{{term|Maquehua}}

{{defn|74 km from Talca}}

{{term|Astillero}}

{{defn|78 km from Talca}}

{{term|Banco de Arena}}

{{defn|83 km from Talca, it was the terminus of the line until 1912.}}

{{term|Constitución}}

{{defn|Terminus of the line, trains depart at the same time as from Talca.}}

{{glossary end}}

File:Primera parada formal.JPG

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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.lan.com/onlyinsouthamerica/nostalgic-train-ride-talca-constitucion/|title=Nostalgic Train Ride: From Talca to Constitución {{!}} Only in South America|date=2014-01-17|website=Only in South America|language=en-US|access-date=2016-06-03}}{{Cite web|url=http://chile.travel/en/where-to-go/santiago-wine-country-and-the-central-valley/highlights-of-the-central-valley/talca-constitucion-railway-branch-line-chile/|title=Talca Railway, Discover the best things to do in Talca|date=2014-06-30|website=Sitio oficial de Turismo de Chile|language=en-US|access-date=2016-06-03}} 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.{{Cite web|url=https://cachandochile.wordpress.com/2011/06/20/riding-the-ramal/|title=Riding the Ramal|last=Margaret|date=2011-06-20|website=Cachando Chile: Reflections on Chilean Culture|access-date=2016-06-03}} The town was later renamed in honor of a local poet, and the station is also known as Estación Poeta.

File:Tsunami en Constitución.svg

The line was severely damaged by the 2010 8.8-magnitude earthquake.{{Cite web|url=http://www.trencentral.cl/link.cgi/servicios/buscarrileng/stations-bridges-and-tunnels.act|title=Buscarril English - STATIONS, BRIDGES AND TUNNELS OF THE RAMAL|website=tmsa.cl|access-date=2016-06-20}} The quake's ensuing tsunami destroyed the Constitución station.{{Cite web|url=http://www.plataformaarquitectura.cl/cl/02-38212/terremoto-en-chile-reporte-desde-constitucion|title=Terremoto en Chile: Reporte desde Constitución|date=2010-03-06|website=Plataforma Arquitectura|language=es-CL|access-date=2016-06-20}} 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.{{Cite news|url=http://www.lasegunda.com/especiales/terremoto_en_chile/pdf/09-03-2010/28.pdf|title=Los huérfanos del ramal Talca-Constitución: Temen convertirse en "pueblos fantasmas}} 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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.molivision.cl/content/view/1115792/Ramal-Talca-Constitucion-vuelve-a-rodar.html|title=Ramal Talca - Constitución vuelve a rodar|website=www.molivision.cl|access-date=2016-06-25}} Despite the earthquake and tsunami damage, the ramal was repaired relatively quickly.{{Cite web|url=http://www.24horas.cl/nacional/la-importante-funcion-del-tren-ramal--121436|title=Tren Ramal: el de los sitios escondidos|last=Fernandez|first=Paz|language=es-ES|access-date=2016-06-25}}

{{commons category|Ramal Talca-Constitución}}

{{reflist}}

Category:Railway lines in Chile