Western Argentina rail expansion links Cuyo to Chile

Western Argentina rail expansion sits at the heart of a $US 4bn programme to restore rail connectivity across the Cuyo region and open a new freight corridor to Chile, bringing together leaders from Mendoza, San Juan and San Luis around a shared cross-border plan.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Western Argentina rail expansion and Andean freight link

At a recent Cuyo regional summit, provincial leaders discussed the scheme. According to Diario San Rafael, as cited by International Railway Journal, Mendoza senator Germán Vicchi said that studies, work and discussions would focus on railway lines, including a future connection to the Pacific via the Planchón-Vergara pass.

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Branch to Vaca Muerta and project financing

Under the plan, sections of the former San Martín and Sarmiento railways would be brought back into service to link southern Mendoza with San Juan and then push west across the Andes towards Chile’s Maule region. This alignment would create a direct freight route to the port of San Antonio.

A branch via General Alvear is also foreseen to extend the network to Vaca Muerta in Neuquén, an area described as rich in natural gas and minerals.

Financing for this four-phase project is expected to rely heavily on Argentina’s Major Investment Incentive Regime (RIGI), together with other public-private mechanisms, and the proposal has already attracted strong interest from mining companies and cereal exporters.

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