Ramal Talca-Constitución

The Banco Arena Bridge, designed by Gustave Eiffel

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).[7]

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.

• Name - Ramal Talca-Constitución or Ramal de Maule
• Home station - Talca
• Terminus - Constitución
• Location - Talca Province, Maule Region
• Distance - 88 km
• Opening date - August 13, 1892 (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 - 25.5 metres (84 ft)

Talca 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 35 kilometres (22 mi) from the road linking the cities of Talca and Curepto).[8] 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.[9]

Ramal Talca-Constitución
Talca Colín Bridge over the Claro River Rauquén Corinto El Morro Curtiduría Los Llocos Tricahue El Peumo González Bastías Toconey Pichamán Oriente Pichamán Los Romeros Los Maquis Forel Quebrada Honda Tunnel Huinganes Los Digüeñes Maquehua Astillero Banco de Arena Bridge over the Maule River Constitución

Distances below (in kilometers) are approximate.[10]

Talca

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

Colín

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

Rauquén

Former station before the bridge crossing the Claro River

Corinto

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

El Morro

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

Curtiduría

The first train on the line ran from this station and Talca.

Los Llocos

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

Tricahue

38 km from Talca, in a former monastery

El Peumo

41 km from Talca.

González Bastías

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

Toconey

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

Pichamán Oriente

50.5 km from Talca

Pichamán ("little condor")

52 km from Talca

Los Romeros

One of the busiest stations, 55 km from Talca

Los Maquis

57.5 km from Talca

Forel

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

Huinganes

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.

Los Digüeñes

The fifth-from-last station

Maquehua

74 km from Talca

Astillero

78 km from Talca

Banco de Arena

83 km from Talca, it was the terminus of the line until 1912.

Constitución

Terminus of the line, trains depart at the same time as from Talca.

González Bastías station

González Bastias station

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.[11][12] During the stop-over, people often buy rescoldo: a hearty bread with pork sausage and hard-boiled eggs.[11] The station is also a storehouse for abandoned railcars.[11]

González Bastías was formerly known as Infiernillo (little hell) for its summer heat and winter isolation.[13] The town was later renamed in honor of a local poet, and the station is also known as Estación Poeta.[13]

Tsunami flooding in Constitucion, which affected the station

The line was severely damaged by the 2010 8.8-magnitude earthquake.[14] The quake's ensuing tsunami destroyed the Constitución station.[15] 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.[16] In a normal year, 90,000 people use the line to travel to local towns for work, leisure or commerce.[16] After nine months out of service it was reopened by president Sebastián Piñera, who fulfilled an election promise.[17] Despite the earthquake and tsunami damage, the ramal was repaired relatively quickly.[18]