La
Red Norte (in english, 'Northern Network') ran from the extreme north of Chile, where the
Arica–La Paz railway is located, to
La Calera in the
Valparaíso Province. The North Network ceased to functions on 16 June 1975, after mounting financial losses. This led to the decline of operating branch lines, with some sections of the railway being sold to other companies, some of which maintain cargo services between different locations, such as the Romeral Railway which operates an iron ore line from Romeral mine to the port of Guayacán, and owns the old section of the Northern Longitudinal Railway between La Serena and Coquimbo.
Arica–La Paz railway The railway line that connects the cities of
Arica and
La Paz was built between 1906 and 1913 and was inaugurated on 13 May 1913 . It was entirely administered by Chile until 1928, when Bolivia began to administer the section that runs through its territory. Today the Chilean section is a freight line operated by FCALP.
Antofagasta – La Paz railway The Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a La Paz was a railway line established at the end of the 19th century as "Antofagasta (Chili) and Bolivia Railway Company". Until the mid-1970s, the line provided cargo and passenger transport services between the towns of
Antofagasta,
Ollagüe and
La Paz. Currently, the company "Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia" (FCAB) uses the railways to transport cargo to and from
Bolivia, and also connects its line with the
Andean Railway of Bolivia,
Ferronor in Chile, and
Ferrocarril Belgrano in Argentina.
Mineral lines There were also private industrial lines such as the
Anglo-Chilian Nitrate and Railway Company's
Tocopilla nitrate railway which hauled nitrate for decades until 2015 when flood damage put it beyond economic repair.
The first railway: from Caldera to Copiapó The 25 December 1851 was unforgettable for
Copiapó. To the rhythm of bells and whistles the first train that made the full journey from
Caldera made its entrance to the so called silver capital of Chile, hauled by a locomotive named after the city. It was a triumph for businessman
William Wheelwright, an American living in Chile, who after successfully promoting the foundation of the
Pacific Steam Navigation Company, embarked on the enterprise of developing the first railway in Chile. He managed to interest several wealthy businessmen, obtaining an initial capital of 800,000 pesos at the time. On 20 November 1849 the government of
Manuel Bulnes gave him a firm concession for the nascent Compañía del Camino Ferro-Carril de Copiapó. The reason for building the railway was the discovery in 1832 by
Juan Godoy, a humble woodcutter, an enormous silver deposit in
Chañarcillo. The need to transport the ore from the interior to the coast, combined with the availability of capital, led to this first Chilean railway. The works began in March 1850 under the
aegis of North American engineers Walton Evans and the Campbell brothers, Alejandro and Allan. was chosen and the layout of the port to the interior was the same as it is today, although the original track was relaid to (for compatibility with the Northern Network) at the beginning of the 20th century. The locomotives and complementary rolling stock were entrusted to the
Norris Locomotive Works in the United States, which built many of the powerful machines that opened the path to the West. The equipment arrived on 21 June 1851 in Caldera at 30 km/h. Thomson says that Wheelwright tried to open the first section on 4 July to coincide with US
Independence day but it was not possible. The first test took place on 29 July and was the first time a train ran in Chile, and the third in South America. From 1 January the train made a daily journey. It left
Copiapó at 9 am and arrived at 1 pm in Caldera. At 3 pm it began its return from the port to arrive in the city at 6.30. For those who traveled in first class the ticket cost 4 pesos and 2 reales. For those who traveled in second class, the ticket cost 2 pesos and 1 real. The cargo rate was 4 reals per quintal. Twice a week, a mail train ran in whose last car ran a gambling bank called "la timba", which lightened the pockets of the hard-working miners who were fond of gambling. The track was later extended to the nearby towns of Puquios and San Antonio and a station was built in Copiapó. They also acquired the route to Chañarcillo, completing 142 kilometers of track. Wheelwright dreamed of a transcontinental railroad but, although he obtained concessions in Argentina, he fell 400 kilometers short of the total of 1,375 needed to complete his dream. For 58 years the railroad was privately operated, but the decline of mining and the high rates charged led to a campaign to have it purchased by the state, which happened in 1910. == Southern Network ==