MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chile and Argentina advance with trans-Andean train

Mendoza City mayor Julio Cobos announced Saturday that the presidents of Chile and Argentina, Michelle Bachelet and Néstor Kirchner, will meet in August to finalize the planning for a new trans-Andean train that will connect Santiago with Mendoza.

The two countries have been in talks since 1999 to re-open the important trade route that closed 30 years ago because of a border dispute over the Beagle Canal. The train will connect Los Andes, Chile with Mendoza, Argentina and will require one of the most sophisticated tracks in the world because of the complicated geography in the region.

The plan calls for the rebuilding and maintenance of over 260 kilometers of track, 70 km in Chile, and will require an investment of over 436 million US dollars. A 500 meter tunnel will be built on the Argentine side of the track, and transfer cargo centres will be built in Los Andes and Mendoza.

The project, named the Central Trans-Andean Train (FCTC), will play a key role for the Mercosur Bi-oceanic Corridor, a trade route that connects Valparaíso and Buenos Aires. Using the route, cargo can cross from the south Atlantic to the south Pacific without having to go through the Panama Canal.

Project architect Carlos De Jong said the train will be emblematic and of great value to the Southern Cone, alleviating heavy cargo traffic on connecting highways.

The highway pass, Los Libertadores, closes an average of 32 days each year due to weather conditions and causes up to 6.4 million US dollars in economic losses each day the pass is closed.

The new train will operate regardless of weather conditions and will be able to pick up more cargo on the exploding trade route, adding an estimated 4.2 billion tons of capacity a year. The cargo-only train is expected to ease traffic on other border crossings as well.

Cobos spoke of his recent meeting with President Kirchner and said the project will be opened for bids from international construction firms on July 20. Kirchner and Bachelet will meet soon to finalize an announcement for the project that should be completed by 2010. The Santiago Times - News about Chile