RAILROADS IN LATIN AMERICA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79-00979A000100020001-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 19, 1999
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: October 30, 1957
• Content Type: REPORT

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RAILROADS IN LATIN AMERICA
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WARNING
This material contains information affecting
the National Defense of the United States
within the meaning of the espionage laws,
Title 18, USC, Secs. 793 and 794, the trans-
mission or revelation of which in any manner
to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
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RAILROADS IN LATIN AMERICA
CIA/RR-G/E-76
30 October 1957
C E N T R A L I N T E L L I G E N C E A G E N C Y
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RAILROADS IN LATIN AMERICA
The distribution and density of the rail networks in Latin
America have always been good indexes to the extent of economic
development in that vast area. As frontiers were pushed back and
newly discovered resources were exploited, transportation facilities
followed close behind and provided outlets to existing markets. An
overall glance at the present-day railroad pattern, however, shows
that very little of Latin America -- even now -- is accessible by
rail.
Until the completion of the accompanying map, no map has been
available that specifically showed railroad facilities in sell Latin
America.' On this map, entitled Railroads in Latin America and
printed in 3 sheets at 1:6,750,000, all common carriers and a few
industrial lines that carry passengers locally are shown according
to gauge. In addition, the name, ownership (government or private),
and gauge of each railroad are listed and keyed by number to the
individual lines shown on the map. No lines under construction or
projected were included because proposed completion dates cannot
be determined definitely.
The map is believed to be currently accurate since the
initial research included all available source materials and, in
March 1957, a preliminary printing was checked by each American
The network of the railroads is fairly accurately shown as one
feature on general maps produced between 194 and 1953 by the American
Geographical Society and the National Geographic Society, but no
additional railroad data are given.
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Embassy (or Consulate where appropriate) in Latin America. Coastlines
and political data were taken from the Army Map'Service reprint (l9 )-
of the American Geographical Society's Mafia of :Hiss ap nic America at
1:5,000,000, with minor revisions.
The three sheets of the new map -- North, Central, and South
cover all the Latin American Republics and Dependencies. Since the
projection and the symbols are consistent throughout, the sheets
can be joined to make one large map. When put together, however,
the North Sheet should be overlapped by the Central Sheet, which
is a slightly more up-to-date portrayal of the Venezuelan and
Colombian lines.
Several observations can be drawn from a study of the new map.
1. The rail networks are dense in only a few areas.
With the exception of the Mexico City area, central Chile,
east central Argentina, and southeastern Brazil, the rail
pattern consists of isolated lines connecting primary
market centers, mining areas, or interior towns with
river or ocean ports. Vast areas with excellent economic
potentialities are not served by any railroads.
2. Thirteen different railroad gauges are identified
on the three map sheets; even within a single network
gauge changes occur. As a result, through-service for
long distances is rarely possible, and the frequent need
for transshipment greatly impedes the efficient movement
of goods.
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3. The most common gauges are 1-meter (3'3-38")
and 1.676-meter (516"), which are used widely throughout
Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. The North American "standard"
gauge of 1.1+35 meters (J+'B") is prevalent only in.Mexico,
Uruguay, and a small section of Argentina east of the
Rf 'Parana.
14. Few international lines exist. Railroads with
tracks of the same gauge provide through-service between
major points in adjacent countries in eight places only.
They are between: (a) Guatemala and El Salvador; (b)
Bolivia and Brazil; (c) Bolivia and Chile, in 2 places.;
(d).Bolivia and Argentina, in 2 places; and (e) Argentina
and Chile, in 2 places. A train-ferry between Posadas,
Argentina, and Encarnacion, Paraguay provides another
significant international connection. A short, meter-gauge
line crosses the Colombia-Venezuela border and connects
Cucuta with Encontrados and El Tachira; and at the northern
end of the Costa Rica-Panama border a privately owned
yard-gauge line connects small towns in these two
countries.
5. Only two rail routes span the entire South
American continent from east to west; both of them cross
Argentina and Chile. The first to be completed (1911)
goes west from Buenos Aires through Mendoza, across the
Andes via a tunnel near the crest, and on to Santiago.
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The second,, completed only a few years ago (191+8), goes
through the city-of-Salta :in northern Argentina to
the port of Antofagasta on the Chilean coast. The
two countries exchange only limited amounts of goods
via these lines because of transshipment problems on
the southern line and customs restrictions on both
lines. Customs regulations are a critical international
transport problem for many Latin American countries.
Except for one short gap, a third transcontinental
rail route crosses the central part of the continent.
At'present, transshipment of goods is necessary via the
highway between Santa Cruz and Cochabamba. When the
last-stretch of rail construction is completed, however,
the ports of southeastern Brazil will be connected by
rail with Arica on the northern coast of Chile -- a
distance of nearly 2,500 miles.
In many cases the history of railroad development in Latin
America reveals the causes of the transport dilemma that faces most
of the countries today. The earliest railroads were built, often
by foreign investors, either to connect growing cities that were
seeking expanded commercial opportunities or to get minerals or
agricultural products from isolated regions to markets or ports.
In so vast an area, with widely separated localities generating
transportation needs, many independent rail systems grew
spasmodically into sizeable networks. Little thought was given
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to connecting links or to the standardization of gauge and
services because other considerations were of more significance
at the time. Serious natural obstacles rugged terrain, swamps,
jungle, seasons of heavy rain or intense drought, great distances
between populated areas, and lack of fuel resources for operating
the lines -- constantly hampered railroad expansion and greatly
increased engineering costs. As a result, many narrow-gauge,
lightweight lines were built because they were satisfactory for
immediate requirements and were cheaper to construct. Unfortunately
for the railroads, the subsequent years of expanding economic
development increased transportation demands beyond the capabilities
of the old lines. Today, rail facilities in many countries are
entirely inadequate.
The economic growth of Latin.America has been accompanied by
increasing attitudes of nationalism, including an acceptance of
state ownership of railroads. As a result, more and more of the
extensive networks that were built and operated for years by foreign
companies have been taken over by local governments -- often before
an adequate, internal capability was developed for proper management
and maintenance. Too few trained technicians, an almost nonexistent
rail-equipment industry, lack of local capital, limited foreign
currency, and a reluctance to use foreign capital have been deterrants
to progress in correcting operating deficits, improving deteriorated
equipment and services, introducing dieselization and electrification,
converting gauges, and building connecting lines.
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In every Latin American country, however, programs are now
underway to correct the deficiencies in rail services. Not only
locally but on an international scale, efforts have been made to
analyze and solve the railway problems common to all Latin American
countries. The Pan . American. Railway Congress Association (PARCA)
was initiated as the South American. Railway Congress (Congreso
Sudamericano de Ferrocarriles) as long ago as 1907. Its meetings,
which bring together railroad officials, governmental and industrial
representatives, and other persons with related interests to work
on technical and economic problems of mutual concern, are held at
frequent intervals. The Ninth Congress, at which the new map* was
presented by the United States Delegation, was held from 30 August
through 13 September 1957 in Buenos Aires, with over 400 delegates
in attendance. Conclusions and recommendations arrived at in these
Congresses have been and will undoubtedly continue to be a significant
influence in the improvement of railroads throughout Latin America.
*Copies of this map may be obtained by calling the CIA Map
Library, Executive 3-6115 (or Code 143), extension 2596, and
requesting Map No. 13886, Railroads in Latin America, in 3 sheets.
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