Railway Network
The Venezuelan network includes 682 km (424 mi) of rail in standard gauge. The network covers the populated and production areas in the country, and is managed by IFE under various Regional Development Plans. There are also connections between Colombia and Brazil that link to the other countries of South America, although traffic in the border areas are affected by foreign policy and defence strategy.
IFE is the sole operator of trains in Venezuela, however, they have created various railway names assigned to different regions throughout the country.
Historically, much of the original Venezuelan network was designed in the 19th century in the Federalist period and under the administration of Antonio Guzmán Blanco, in order to open up the country for trade and earn foreign revenues. However, the first licenses were signed and revoked nine times before the first stretch was operating. The first lines connected Caracas to its port of La Guaira and then Valencia in the 1870s–80s. Notable engineers associated with its original development include: John Grover and Robert Fairlie. Some of the later lines were designed by William A. Welch and Thomas Kavanagh (Caracas subway).
Rail transport in Venezuela was neglected and went into a major decline from the 1950s, with bus and road transport taking its place, just Caracas maintaining its 51 km (32 mi) of subway system and local railway.
The 1999 Constitution was a signal for a major reinvestment in the infrastructure of the state. Much of the renovation of the current Venezuelan railway network is still at the planning stage, with some already constructed and the rest to be built over a period of about 30 years.
Railway | Branch | Present Status | Station | Location | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ezequiel Zamora | Capital Line
Caracas – El Sombrero (approx 150 km) |
Passenger service on Venezuela's first electrified train line between Caracas and Cúa (41 km) has been in operation since October 15, 2006. Although short this trip passes through 24 tunnels with the longest being just under 6.8 km | Libertador Simón Bolívar | Caracas beside the Caracas Metro La Rinconada station. | Federal District |
Generalísimo Francisco de Miranda | North Charallave | Miranda State | |||
Don Simón Rodríguez | South Charallave | Miranda State | |||
General Ezequiel Zamora | Cúa | Miranda State | |||
Camatagua | Aragua State | ||||
El Sombrero | Guarico State | ||||
Puerto Cabello – La Encrucijada (approx. 108 km) | Under construction and originally projected completion by before 2011 however there have been damage setbacks. After years of slow progress a small part of the line (San Diego-Guacara about 10 km) will be openned before the end of 2012. The best optimistic estimate for 100% completion is sometime before 2015. Presently 14 of 15 tunnels (accumulated 28 km in length) have been completed with hope for the last one to be finished before end of 2012. The longest built tunnel is just a smidgen under 7.8 km in length. | Puerto Cabello | Puerto Cabello | Carabobo State | |
Naguanagua | Northern Valencia suburb | Carabobo State | |||
San Diego | North-eastern Valencia suburb | Carabobo State | |||
Guacara | Eastern Valencia suburb | Carabobo State | |||
San Joaquín | San Joaquín | Carabobo State | |||
Mariara | Mariara | Carabobo State | |||
Maracay | Maracay | Aragua State | |||
Cagua | Santa Crúz de Aragua with station near Cagua, La Encrucijada and Turmero | Aragua State | |||
La Encrucijada – Cúa | planning stage | La Victoria | La Victoria | Aragua State | |
Las Tejerías | Las Tejerías | Aragua State | |||
La Encrucijada – San Juan de Los Morros | planning stage | Villa de Cura | Villa de Cura | Aragua State | |
San Juan de Los Morros | San Juan de Los Morros | Guárico State | |||
Simón Bolívar | Puerto Cabello – Barquisimeto | Trial runs between Barquisimeto and Yaritagua have been successful where passenger travel time between the 2 stations is completed in 30 minutes (34 km). Also currently freight trains run from Puerto Cabello to Barquisimeto (173 km). Since the original plans for line and station renovation and modernization projected passenger travel by the end of 2010 have faltered, after considerable delay in construction, the best hope is that full service will be available in 2013. An additional rail will be added between the Morón and Puerto Cabello Stations to serve the expected increase in rail traffic on the shared line. | Puerto Cabello | Puerto Cabello | Carabobo State |
Morón | Western Puerto Cabello Suburb | Carabobo State | |||
San Felipe | San Felipe | Yaracuy State | |||
Urama | Urama | Yaracuy State | |||
Chivacoa | Chivacoa | Yaracuy State | |||
Yaritagua | Yaritagua | Yaracuy State | |||
Barquisimeto | Barquisimeto | Lara State | |||
Yaritagua – Acarigua – Turén | Trial train runs have been successfully employed between Barquisimeto and Acarigua via Yaritagua and everyone awaits the inauguration for this 101 km service. The travel time between Yaritagua and Acarigua is 40 minutes. As well an additional 44+ km line extension from Acarigua to Turén should be completed before the end of 2012. | Acarigua | Acarigua | Portuguesa State | |
Turén | Turén | Portuguesa State | |||
Norte Occidental (North Western) | Morón – Riecito | only freight services | Morón | Morón | Carabobo State |
Tucacas | Tucacas | Falcón State | |||
Yaracal | Yaracal | Falcón State | |||
Riecito | Riecito | Falcón State | |||
Yaracal – Punto Fijo | planning stage | Coro | Coro | Falcón State | |
Punto Fijo | Punto Fijo | Falcón State | |||
Norte Llanero (Northern Plains) | Maturín – Anaco | planning stage | Maturín | Maturín | Monagas State |
Anaco | Anaco | Anzoátegui State | |||
Anaco – Tinaco | This 468 km line is under construction for over 3 years, and expected completion by year-end 2012 has amounted to just less than 25% line completion. So far the construction rate on 5 different work fronts has been slow or even delayed. | Aragua de Barcelona | Anaco | Anzoátegui State | |
Zaraza | Zaraza | Guárico State | |||
Tucupito | Tucupito | Guárico State | |||
Valle de la Pascua | Valle de la Pascua | Guárico State | |||
Chaguaramos | Chaguaramos | Guárico State | |||
El Sombrero | El Sombrero | Guárico State | |||
Dos Caminos | Dos Caminos | Guárico State | |||
El Pao | El Pao | Cojedes State | |||
Tinaco | Tinaco | Cojedes State | |||
Tinaco – Barinas | planning stage | San Carlos | San Carlos | Cojedes State | |
Acarigua | Acarigua | Portuguesa State | |||
Guanare | Guanare | Portuguesa State | |||
Sabaneta | Sabaneta | Barinas State | |||
Barinas | Barinas | Barinas State | |||
Barinas – San Cristobál | planning stage | Barinitas | Barinitas | Barinas State | |
San Rafael del Piñal | San Rafael del Piñal | Táchira State | |||
San Cristóbal | San Cristóbal State | Táchira | |||
Centro Sur (South Central) | San Juan de Los Morros – San Fernando de Apure | The original reconstruction and extension of this 252+ km line was to be completed by year-end 2011 for freight and passenger. This project continues, however slow the main train authorities remain optimistic and emphatic that everything will be ready in 2012. | San Juan de Los Morros | San Juan de Los Morros | Guárico State |
Ortíz | Ortíz | Guárico State | |||
Dos Caminos | Dos Caminos | Guárico State | |||
Calabozo | Calabozo | Guárico State | |||
Corozopando | Corozopando | Guárico State | |||
Camaguán | Camaguán | Guárico State | |||
San Fernando de Apure | San Fernando de Apure | Apure State | |||
Chaguaramas – Caicara del Orinoco | The original reconstruction and extension to be completed by year-end 2011 for freight and passenger went by without success. The first part of the line service from Chaguaramos to Cabruta some 201 km is scheduled to be completed by 2012. The extended part that includes crossing on the 3rd bridge over the Orinoco River (this one is approx 8.7 km long and presently under construction) and connection to Caicara needs to have a defined date. | Chaguaramas | Chaguaramas | Guárico State | |
Las Mercedes | Las Mercedes | Guárico State | |||
El Mejo | El Mejo | Guárico State | |||
Santa Rita | Santa Rita | Guárico State | |||
Arrecife | Arrecife | Guárico State | |||
Cabruta | Cabruta | Guárico State | |||
Caicara del Orinoco | Caicara del Orinoco | Bolívar State | |||
Oriental (Eastern) | Guanta – Naricual | abandoned line, under study for upgrade | Guanta | Guanta | Anzoátegui State |
Naricual | Naricual | ||||
Ciudad Guayana – Manicaure | under construction | Puerto Ordaz | Ciudad Guayana Este | Bolívar State | |
Maturín | Maturín | Monagas State | |||
Manicaure | Manicaure | Sucre State | |||
Anaco – Cúa | planning stage | Anaco | Anaco | Anzoátegui State | |
Barcelona | Barcelona | Anzoátegui State | |||
El José | El José | Anzoátegui State | |||
Puerto Píritu | Puerto Píritu | Anzoátegui State | |||
Higuerote | Higuerote | Miranda State | |||
Cúa | Cúa | Miranda State | |||
Occidental (Western) | Maracaibo – Sabana de Mendoza | planning stage, had symbolic laying of the first rail and project definition | Maracaibo | beside a Maracaibo Metro station | Zulia State |
El Tablazo | El Tablazo | Zulia State | |||
Santa Rita | Santa Rita | Zulia State | |||
Cabimas | Cabimas | Zulia State | |||
Ciudad Ojeda | Ciudad Ojeda | Zulia State | |||
Lagunillas | Lagunillas | Zulia State | |||
Bachaquero | Bachaquero | Zulia State | |||
Mene Grande | Mene Grande | Zulia State | |||
Sabana de Mendoza | Sabana de Mendoza | Trujillo State | |||
Sabana de Mendoza – Barquisimeto | planning stage | Carora | Carora | Lara State | |
Barquisimeto | Barquisimeto | Lara State | |||
Encontrados – Machiques | planning stage | Encontrados | Encontrados | Zulia State | |
Machiques | Machiques | Zulia State | |||
Machiques – Maracaibo – Puerto Las Américas | planning stage | Maracaibo | Maracaibo | Zulia State | |
Puerto Las Américas | Puerto Las Américas | Zulia State | |||
Región Guayana (Guayana region) | San Fernando – Tucupita | planning stage | San Fernando de Apure | San Fernando de Apure | Apure State |
Cabruta | Cabruta | Gúarico State | |||
Caicara | Caicara | Bolívar State | |||
Ciudad Bolívar | Ciudad Bolívar | Bolívar State | |||
Ciudad Guayana | Puerto Ordaz | Bolívar State | |||
Tucupita | Tucupita | Delta Amacuro State | |||
Caicara – Puerto Ayacucho | planning stage | Puerto Ayacucho | Puerto Ayacucho | Amazonas State | |
Caracas – La Guaira | Caracas – La Guaira | planning stage - In May 2007 a maglev train was proposed to link Caracas to La Guaira and Simón Bolívar International Airport. A route is being studied prior to obtaining funding. | Caracas | La Rinconada | Distrito Federal |
Maiquetía | Maiquetía (near the airport) | Vargas State | |||
La Guaira | La Guaira by the seaport | Vargas State | |||
Recreacional (recreational) | Parque Recreacional El Encanto | Reconstruction for passenger service by end of 2012 | Los Teques | Los Teques | Miranda State |
Read more about this topic: Instituto De Ferrocarriles Del Estado
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