Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia

Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia
Overview
LocaleChile/Bolivia
History
Opened1873
Technical
Line length1,537 km (955 mi)
Number of tracksSingle track with passing loops
Track gauge1,000 mm (3 ft 3+38 in) metre gauge
Old gauge2 ft 6 in (762 mm)
Highest elevation4,815 m (15,797 ft)
Route map
Route map of FCAB railway 2020
Ferrocarril de Antofagasta
a Bolivia
km
elev
in m
0.00
Antofagasta
3
4.14
Playa Blanca
62
13.90
Sargento Aldea
296
20.20
La Negra
405
29.39
Portezuelo
553
35.48
O'Higgins
550
37.00
Uribe
583
58.61
Prat
700
70.00
Latorre
783
82.94
Cuevitas
893
95.95
Baquedano
1,010
108.74
Cerrillos
1,164
116.45
El Buitre
1,234
120.12
Santa Rosa
1,266
121.85
Carmen Alto
1,287
127.92
Salinas
1,341
132.08
Peineta
1,353
136.13
Central
1,368
143.31
Unión
1,411
148.00
Placilla
1,431
153.41
Solitario
1,470
161.48
La Noria
1,540
165.33
Rebosadero
1,606
170.38
Sierra Gorda
1,623
178.87
Cochrane
1,710
204.87
Cerritos Bayos
2,142
238.24
Calama
2,265
252.87
San Salvador
2,467
269.28
Cere
2,641
299.22
Conchi
3,015
Loa Viaduct
in use to 1914
312.24
San Pedro
3,223
339.68
Polapi
3,372
366.00
Ascotán
3,956
387.26
Cebollar
3,729
402.44
Carcote
3,802
411.88
San Martin
3,688
440.00
Ollagüe
3,696
Chile
Bolivia
border
469.86
Chiguana
3,678
515.80
Julaca
3,658
545.62
Río Grande
3,658
610.36
Uyuni
3,659
659.36
Chita
3,745
760.88
Sevaruyo
3,745
813.26
Challapata
3,706
876.31
Poopó
3,709
924.15
Oruro
3,694
Down arrow
this section originally built as
1,000 mm (3 ft 3+38 in) metre gauge
980.00
Eucaliptus
3,724
1,040.00
Patacamaya
3,785
1,100.00
Ingavi
3,869
1,120.00
Viacha
3,851
1,152.00
La Paz
3,689
km
elev
in m

The Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia (British company name: Antofagasta (Chili) & Bolivia Railway or FCAB for short) is a private railway operating in the northern provinces of Chile. It is notable in that it was one of the earliest railways built to 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge, with a route that climbed from sea level to over 4,500 m (14,764 ft), while handling goods traffic totaling near 2 million tons per annum. It proved that a railway with such a narrow gauge could do the work of a standard gauge railway, and influenced the construction of other railways such as the Estrada de Ferro Oeste de Minas. It was later converted to 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+38 in) metre gauge, and still operates today.