International Railroad Discussion > $284 million "Modernization" of Huancayo - Huancavelica railway

Just came across this story from two weeks ago that the Huancayo - Huancavelico railway is being "modernized" for $284 million. I don't read spanish, so I'm looking at auto translations, but it sounds like they will do more track repair, add more service, and improve stations. I forgot this line was even open, but I saw posts on here from several years ago when it was converted to standard guage from metre gauge. I looked on tripadvisor and there are reviews and photos of riding it. The last one in August said it is out of service until further notice. As for repair, the photos show track with new concrete ties (though I can't tell if the rail is new)...so some work was certainly done when it was standard guaged.

I wonder if there is any freight traffic whatsoever. From what I've found, FCCA only has weekly or bi-weekly freight service between Huancayo and La Oroyo. It is curious to imagine that Huancayo - Huancavelica, a medium city to a small city, will have daily service, while Huancayo - Lima, a medium city to a massive city, only has monthly tourist service. FCCA's facebook page about the tourist service seems mostly to have comments from Peruvians asking for more frequent and affordable regular service. 

Another curious item - I found a video from 2013 of an FCCA passenger train on this line. It had their ex-CEFX SD40-2 as power. Does it not have clearance issues like the GE's? I get a bit confused about that - I've seen photos/video of C39-8's that haven't been cut down east of Galeria, the summit of FCCA, but I figured that the tunnels on the way to the summit were the issue that required the modified C30-7's and C39-8's to be cut down. But then unmodified engines are appear at the far ends of the route. Also, now that I charted the whole Huancayo - Huanvelico line, there must be an error in seeing that FCCA train. That video is titled "PERU - by Rail. Lima - Hyancayo - Huancavelica in 2013" but it shows a switchback near a mining-like structure that looks like Chicla. The Huanvelico line doesn't have any switchbacks that I could find.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/21/19 19:20 by inCHI.

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Maybe I just found why it is shut down. If this map data is actually recent this appears to be a landslide over the track (look center top and bottom) in a canyon south of La Mejorada. That ties into a tripadvisor comment that says that service is only going to Izcuchaca, which is just west of La Mejorada.

 

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inCHI Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just came across this story from two weeks ago
> that the Huancayo - Huancavelico railway is being
> "modernized" for $284 million. I don't read
> spanish, so I'm looking at auto translations, but
> it sounds like they will do more track repair, add
> more service, and improve stations. I forgot this
> line was even open, but I saw posts on here from
> several years ago when it was converted to
> standard guage from metre gauge. I looked on
> tripadvisor and there are reviews and photos of
> riding it. The last one in August said it is out
> of service until further notice. As for repair,
> the photos show track with new concrete ties
> (though I can't tell if the rail is new)...so some
> work was certainly done when it was standard
> guaged.
>
> I wonder if there is any freight traffic
> whatsoever. From what I've found, FCCA only has
> weekly or bi-weekly freight service between
> Huancayo and La Oroyo. It is curious to imagine
> that Huancayo - Huancavelica, a medium city to a
> small city, will have daily service, while
> Huancayo - Lima, a medium city to a massive city,
> only has monthly tourist service. FCCA's facebook
> page about the tourist service seems mostly to
> have comments from Peruvians asking for more
> frequent and affordable regular service. 
>
> Another curious item - I found a video from 2013
> of an FCCA passenger train on this line. It had
> their ex-CEFX SD40-2 as power. Does it not have
> clearance issues like the GE's? I get a bit
> confused about that - I've seen photos/video of
> C39-8's that haven't been cut down east of
> Galeria, the summit of FCCA, but I figured that
> the tunnels on the way to the summit were the
> issue that required the modified C30-7's and
> C39-8's to be cut down. But then unmodified
> engines are appear at the far ends of the route.
> Also, now that I charted the whole Huancayo -
> Huanvelico line, there must be an error in seeing
> that FCCA train. That video is titled "PERU - by
> Rail. Lima - Hyancayo - Huancavelica in 2013" but
> it shows a switchback near a mining-like structure
> that looks like Chicla. The Huanvelico line
> doesn't have any switchbacks that I could find.

Wonder if FCCA would be interested in through service to Huancavelica?

How many freight shippers from Huancayo to Huancavelica?

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