Argentina’s railway provides a gateway to its national neighbours, crossing into both Bolivia and Chile to provide crucial trade, transport and tourist links.
Major transport links, such as the railway, provide a catalyst for trade, the migration of people and the exchange of cultures and customs across regions and through borders.
The Ferrocarril General Manuel Belgrano is part of the national railway service which runs through Argentina, into Salvador Mazza.
The service then crosses the border into Bolivia at the Yacuiba junction, providing a vital link between these two countries.
Since it was built in 1949, the Ferrocarril has been an important method of transport for both people and goods across Argentina.
This infrastructure replaced a range of narrow gauge railways found across the country, uniting Argentina with 47,000 kilometres of tracks.
Initially built with colonial investment in the early 20th century, the railway was developed in Buenos Aires before expanding to produce one of the most sophisticated services of its time across the country.
It is still a crucial link for trade from the rest of Argentina, and goods from across the northern borders, south towards the economic hubs, ports and consumer markets.
The railway is also a gateway through to Bolivia and a direct link to Santa Cruz de la Sierra, the largest city in the country.
The General Manuel Belgrane line branches to the south, near Salta, leading to the “train to the clouds”, the third highest altitude railway in the world.
Trains from here run over the border into Chile, at altitudes of over 4,200 metres, across a track which dramatically weaves through incredible Andean landscapes.
The most famous section of this journey is the La Polvorilla viaduct, which is 70 metres high and 224 metres long, one of 13 viaducts along the route.