Ramal Talca-Constitución
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The Ramal Talca-Constitución, also known as the Ramal de Maule is the last remaining narrow-gauge ramal (branch line) in Chile.[1] Its 88-kilometre (55 mi) route follows the north bank of the Maule River and crosses the communes of Talca, Maule, Pencahue and Constitución, with Constitución the last station on the line. The route features views of the Andean foothills and the Pacific Ocean. The line can support a speed of 50 miles per hour (80 km/h). The railway is facing closure due to inactivity and an increased preference for private transport.[2]
Chile's last passenger metre gauge railway, the ramal runs through an area not served by other ground transportation.[3] The Banco de Arena Railway Bridge over the Maule River, designed by architect Gustave Eiffel, was built from 1908 and 1915 by Schneider and Company.[4] On May 25, 2007 the line was declared a national monument, a valued asset to the country which cannot be destroyed.[5] It is included on the World Monuments Fund's 2018 list of monuments at risk, following damage from forest fires.[6]