There are no railways in Chiloe Island, but in the past there was a narrow gauge railway.
At the end of the 19th century in Chiloe Island was the only land route the two main cities of the island Ancud and Castro, opened at the end of the 18th century.
In 1899 the railway in Chiloe Island was proposed by senator Ramon Romzas, but the idea was rejected as too expensive.
The construction of a narrow gauge railway from Ancud to Castro began in 1909.
In 1909, construction began on an 88-kilometer line between the cities of Ancud and Castro. For the first kilometers in Ancud, the line ran along the coast, then through the center of the island. The works started simultaneously – in Ancud and in Castro. On September 8, 1911, workers met near Butalcura. In addition, branch Ancud – Lechagua (10 km) was built.
The first train passed between the cities on 27 July 1912.
There were plans to build three more railway lines – Castro-Quellón (90 km), Mocopulli – Dalcahue (8 km), Ancud – Chacao, where passengers and goods would be a transfer to a ferry connecting the island with the mainland.
A ride was very slow – trains covered the distance of 88 kilometers in 5 and half hours. The trains usually were comprised of a steam locomotive, a baggage car, a first-class carriage and a second-class carriage. The train stopped at every, even the smallest, settlement on the railway line.
In the 1930s, railbuses appeared on the route. New vehicles shortened the journey time to 3.5 hours. In 1951, a railbus covered the route in 3 hours – the classic train then ran twice a week, the rail bus five times a week.
The railway line was loss-making and in 1958 the first voices appeared demanding its closure. The closure was planned for March 3, 1959, but trains continued to run.
In January 1960, a railbus hit a fallen tree and derailed. Four passengers died, seven were injured.
A strong earthquake struck Chiloe on 21 May 1960. Almost all infrastructure was destroyed – bridges collapsed, landslides buried the line, and part of the line was flooded by the sea. In 1961-1962, the remains of the railway line were demolished and dismantled. It was the end of the railways in Chiloe Island.
The railway was not repaired and services never resumed.
Related articles:
Railways in Americas
Train travel in Chile
