Tren a las Nubes
The railway line Salta - Antofagasta connects the Argentine city of Salta in the Argentine province of Salta and Antofagasta in the northern region of Chile on the Pacific Ocean. In one section of the tren a las nubes wrong (sometimes tren de las nubes ).
Route
The Argentine section of the route is about 450 km long and crosses at Socompa ( 3858 m above sea level. NN ) the border with Chile. The Chilean part of the route is about 330 km long. The official name of the Argentine route section between Güemes, Salta and Socompa is Ramal C- 14th
The railway line was planned and built by the U.S. engineer Ricardo Fontaine Maury. The route takes in the tren a las nubes from the busy section 29 bridges, 21 tunnels, 13 viaducts, 2 reversing loops and two hairpins. It happened while 21 stations.
The route leads to the Argentinian side by several salt deserts, Salar de Cauchari like, Salar Pocitos Salar de Arizaro. The Chilean salt flats belong to the Atacama desert. On the Chilean side of the train crossing the Salar Punta Negra. The railway line has a sequel up to Iquique, Antofagasta. It was mainly created for transporting saltpeter. The only section with tourist passenger transport is the section between Salta and San Antonio de los Cobres.
Operation
By 1981, once frequented the week a passenger train with sleeping and sitting cars between Salta and Antofagasta. He was sometimes called Tren Internacional, but had no official name. Then only remained a weekly freight train carrying passengers between Salta and Socompa, which was operated until 10 March 1993 by the then Division General Belgrano Ferrocarriles Argentinos. Subsequently, the province of Salta operation with the participation of the communities on the route the train for a few years. Today Weekly runs a Gastransportzug from Argentina to Chile.
Tren a las nubes
The tourist train tren a las nubes the Ferrocarriles Argentinos wrong since the 1970s only when needed and since 1985 regularly in winter (March- November), once a week. Since 1994 he has been operated by the company Movitren, wrong also from March to November, about once every week. In July 2005, a train with a defective locomotive and without energy supply in sub-zero temperatures on the Viaducto La Polvorilla stopped. This led to the withdrawal of the operating license.
Meanwhile, the operation of the tren a las nubes was on the track under the new operating company Ecotren SA resumed. For the safety of passengers on the train is accompanied by SUVs and one ambulance. For passengers who suffer from altitude sickness to oxygen equipment is on board. There is a hospital with trained staff on board. In the rainy season from early December to late March, the train service is set.
The trip begins and ends in the city of Salta, in northern Argentina at the station General Belgrano. The average speed is about 35 km / h Salta is located at 1,187 m altitude. The train travels over a distance of 217 km (return trip 434 km ). The highlight is the crossing of the Viaducto La Polvorilla at 4,188 m altitude. It spans a length of 224 m and has a height of 63.4 m. Approximately 1,600 tons of steel were used here. From here the train to San Antonio de los Cobres returns back to 3,774 m, where after a short break the return journey continues.
About 30,000 tourists a year travel with this train moving over long distances in more than 2,500 meters above sea level. In some places you can see from the distance between Puerta Tastil and San Antonio to 5,716 m Nevado de Acay with its snow and ice caps.
In 2009, the operating company in Switzerland bought at the central train the last remaining center entrance car with years of construction 1945-1954, to form a second train set.