Chile, Argentina Advance with Trans-Andean Train

Mendoza City mayor Julio Cobos announced Saturday that the presidents of Chile and Argentina, Michelle Bachelet and Nestor Kirchner, will meet in August to finalize the planning for a new trans-Andean train that will connect Santiago with Mendoza.

The two countries have been in talks since 1999 to reopen the important trade route that closed 30 years ago because of a border dispute over the Beagle Canal.

The train will connect Los Andes, Chile with Mendoza, Argentina and will require one of the most sophisticated tracks in the world because of the complicated geography in the region.

The plan calls for the rebuilding and maintenance of over 260 kilometers of track, 70 km in Chile, and will require an investment of over $436 million.

A 500-meter-long tunnel will be built on the Argentine side of the track, and transfer cargo centers will be built in Los Andes and Mendoza.

The project, named the Central Trans-Andean Train (FCTC), will play a key role for the Mercosur Bi-oceanic Corridor, a trade route that connects Valparaiso and Buenos Aires.

Using the route, cargo can cross from the south Atlantic to the south Pacific without having to go through the Panama Canal.