Bolivian Railscene

The Bolivian railway system is now just a shadow of its former self. It once boasted several impressive railway stations and a large fleet of steam locomotives. In many places little remains. The ENFE (Empresa Nacional de Ferrocarriles del Estado) was the state railway established in 1964 and was in charge of operations until 1994, when the railway system was sold to two private companies. A steam engine with the letters ENFE at the abandone railway station in the constitutional capital Sucre. [Jun 2006].
Round many of the stations one can see old steam engines, that long since have ceased operation. They generally are in relatively good condition, considering their time of neglect. A Garrat standing at the railway station of Potosí was basking in the sun. Sadly, its working days seem to be numbered. [Dec 2002].
More old steam locomotives stand neglected on sidings in Potosí. The railways in Bolivia are 1 m narrow gauge. [Dec 2002].
In the early 2000s a railcar ran once a week from Potosí to Uyuni. This diesel railcar is still from ENFE and stands at the railway station in Potosí. [Dec 2002].
A worker's inspection cart stands beside the railcar at Potosí Station, ready to follow the railcar to do maintenance on the line. [Dec 2002].
In contrast with trains in eastern Bolivia, here in the western part of the country the trains ran dead on time. No delays here. Unfortunately I did not know this, so that I could only catch a glimpse of this railcar as it was leaving Potosí. The arid landscape makes the harsh living conditions of the people in this part of Bolivia clear. The railcar passes the Cerro Rico, a hill that yielded a lot of silver across the centuries. [Dec 2002].
The railcar is followed by the trolley out of Potosí. The railway line is also used as walkway, especially in this part of town, which definitely is not high-class. [Dec 2002].
In 1994 the western railway operations in the Andes where sold to the Ferroviaria Andina, a Chilean company. Initially it used the abbreviation FCA, presumably standing for Ferrocarril Andino. A diesel loco stands in Uyuni. [Dec 2002].
Uyuni, lying at the edge of the great Salar de Uyuni, is not only a tourist town but also an important railway junction. Trains from the mines of Potosí pass through here. Further south the lines divide, one continuing to the border with Chile, the other carrying on towards Argentina.

A freight train leaves Uyuni station heading south into the night while the sun is setting. [Dec 2002].

After a night's journey the express from Villazón on the Argentinian border via Uyuni arrives in Oruro. Since the roads from here onwards are relatively good, as long as one knows the potholes, passengers have to transfer to buses if they want to continue to La Paz. Many of the passengers bring goods from the border region to Oruro on the train. [Dec 2002].

In Oruro the engine has just decoupled from its train and slowly curves around the yard towards the depot, while the train is shunted from the platform. Just about all of the traffic on the Andean system is managed by these Japanese-built diesel locos. [Dec 2002].

Later another engine shunts the train into the depot, which is surrounded by a high wall. Dusty streets and dogs are commonplace in Bolivian cities. So are Bolivian flags, here flying from the light masts, showing that with all its problems, Bolivians are nevertheless proud of their country. [Dec 2002].

Hitachi and Mitsubishi cooperated to build locos for the Bolivian railways. In 1968 the 900 series was delivered. In 1978 the 1000 series was delivered, which is now the standard locomotive on the Ferroviaria Andina. In 2019 Ferroviaria Andina took delivery of three new locomotives from Stadler Rail. Here Hitachi-Mitsubishi locomotive 1018 is seen in Oruro. [Nov 2002].

When I asked a Bolivian railway worker whether I could enter the Oruro depot to take a few pictures of steam engines, he could not understand how anybody would be interested in this antique technology. Unfortunately he did not let me in. I was able to take a photo through the gate showing a Shay locomotive beside a maintenance trolley and the passenger coaches. [Dec 2002].
The Bolivian railways are divided into two separate systems - one in the East and another in the mountainous West. The link between the two systems has never been completed, largely due to lack of finance. Any aid flowing to completing the gap has repeatedly been stopped by US interests, either by the big oil companies who are more interested in the use of petroleum, or by US soy bean growers, who fear the competition if soy beans can be easily transported to Chilean or Peruvian ports by rail. Here is the railway line between Oruro and Cochabamba near Parotani. [Sep 2002].
The railway line between Oruro and Cochabamba had been closed before 2000. Since the line is liable to flooding the line with its high maintenance cost did not prove economic, especially since it can not tap into the eastern part of Bolivia as long as it remains uncompleted. In comparison with the road, the railway line is also quite circuitous. The rails and bridges are still largely in place. However they largely date from the early part of the 20th century. [Sep 2002].
A hotel beside the railway line offered a jigger to its guests to explore a little bit of the railway line. Many of the sleepers are made out of steel, making them liable to theft. [Sep 2002].
One of the most interesting train trips in Bolivia was probably the one from Cochabamba to Aiquile. The line twists and turns through tunnels and over bridges as it makes its way through remote valleys. Once upon a time these little narrow gauge Borsig steam locomotives hauled trains over the torteous route. One of them was on display in Cochabamba Railway Station. [Jun 2006].
At the beginning of the 21st century a railbus ran over the line three times a week in each direction between Cochabamba and Aiqile. At the grand Cochabamba railway station the roof of the railcar is loaded with cargo before the passengers pile in. Today the railway line is closed, but the corridors around Cochabamba are used by a new light rail system with 1,435 mm gauge. The light rail system opened in 2022 with Stadler rolling stock. [Jun 2006].
The railbus used between Cochabamba and Aiquile literally was just a bus that has been mounted on flanged wheels. At the back was just a single axle with the driving wheels, while the front was mounted on a two-axle bogie.
The line passes through a remote area. The railbus often just stopped whenever a path crosses the line to allow people on or off. But Cliza even had something approaching a platform. Even vendors were present to welcome the passengers. [Jun 2006].
Only few tourists seemed to catch the train. I must have been the first one for a long time.

The crew certainly looked after me and ensured that I got the best seat in a crowded railbus and got to see the line well. They even stopped to allow me to cross a bridge by foot. With the bridge condition this was not for the faint-hearted as I had to hop from sleeper to sleeper in cases. And then the conductor took this picture of me as the railbus slowly rolled onto the bridge. There were more spectacular bridges on the line, but I didn't want to delay the train too much by touristy requests. [Jun 2006].

At another stop most of the passengers got off to stretch their legs or hurry behind some wall. I didn't catch the name of the place.
Beside the luggage, up to 50 people squeezed into the railbus, which certainly had only been designed for less than 30. [Jun 2006].
There wasn't much maintenance, but the rails were not neglected. We came across workmen several times. That's the view across the driver's shoulder. [Jun 2006].
Generally the railway lines in Bolivia twist past obstacles. There are not many tunnels. But here on the line to Aiquile an 800 m tunnel was built near the old Inca Fortress Inca Pucarita. If the line were to continue to Santa Cruz, considerable more investment would be required. To haul larger and faster trains, the line would also need to be straightened in places. [Jun 2006].
And finally the train has arrived in Aiquile. That's the end of the line. The railbus has just turned on the triangle and now stands at the platform of Aiquile station. [Jun 2006].
The eastern railway system runs from Yacuiba on the border with Argentina to Santa Cruz and from there to Puerto Quijarro on the border to Brazil. Outside the railway station in Yacuiba there are a lot of small vendors who have bought products in Argentina to take on the train to various places in Bolivia. Much of the trade is done at this small scale. [Dec 2002].
After privatisation the Ferroviaria Oriental in the east was taken over by Genesee & Wyoming, a US short-line operator, with railway interests around the world. However that does not mean quality service. 10 hour delays are routine on this railway. [Dec 2002].
The train from Santa Cruz to Yacuiba on the Argentinian border consists of a long line of passenger and freight cars. This means frequent shunting en route, as the engines set down and pick up wagons. Here the two engines, which always remained coupled together, set down another wagon at a station near Villa Montes. The train is about to leave the plains for a few kilometres and even encounters a tunnel. [Dec 2002].
Towards the east the railway mainly traverses wide plains, with hills only visible in the distance. soya fields line the track for many kilometres. Now and then one can see Menonites, with their straw hats, riding past in their buggies.
In San José de Chiquitos horses lazily wander off the track while a freight train accelerates out of the town. The railway is part of life here. It is the easiest way to reach Santa Cruz. Farmers from outlying areas come to San José to catch the train and miners drink their fill after they touch civilisation again after weeks of isolation. I thought it wise to join them after being heartily invited. Not to worry - Bolivian beer is very weak. [Dec 2002].
Here in the Chiquitanía there are several beautiful old churches that have been restored again. They were built as part of the Jesuit missions in the 17th century. After the Jesuits were expelled in the 18th century, many of them fell into disrepair. The movie The Mission retells those events. However, in the 20th century efforts were made to restore not only the churches, but also some of the cultural heritage, such as music. [Dec 2002].
One interesting feature of the Ferroviaria Oriental is that several of the locomotive classes are quite similar to New Zealand locomotive classes. The DE 2000 series of the FO is a General Electric U20C model with a standard GE cab. This is fairly similar to the GE U26C model on which the New Zealand DX class is based. Here is DE 2005 in San José de Chiquitos. [Dec 2002].
The 1200 series of the FO is based on the General Motors Electro Motive Division GR12U model. This was a development of the EMD G12 model, on which the New Zealand DA class is based. Here the loco pulls a passenger train into San José de Chiquitos. [Dec 2002].
The FO 970 series is based on the General Electric U10B model. The New Zealand DH class is also based on the GE U10B model and looks very similar. FO 875 arrives with a passenger train in San José de Chiquitos. [Dec 2002].
Here in San José de Chiquitos trains cross. It is the lifeline for this town and the region. Let's hope services improve again. [Dec 2002].