PART OF THE TRAIN JOURNEY ON A PASSENGER TRAIN.




Initials PBS/VS/BHH/OS



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: THE WORLD'S HIGHEST STANDARD GAUGE RAILWAY PASSENGER SERVICE CROSSING THE ANDES IN PRU HAS BEEN REPRIEVED LESS THAN A MONTH BEFORE THE LAST TRAIN WAS DUE TO RUN.

FOR ECONOMIC REASONS THE COMPANY OPERATING THE SERVICE, THE CENTRAL RAILWAY OF PERU, HAD INTENDED LEAVING THE LINE OPEN EXCLUSIVELY FOR FREIGHT TRAINS CARRYING COPPER FROM THE HUGE MINES IN THE ANDES.

THE LINE RUNS FROM DESAMPARADOS TO HUANCAYO, 346 K.M. AWAY, AND MORE THAN 10,600 FEET (3,230 M.) UP IN THE MOUNTAIN RANGE. THE LINE REACHES ITS HIGHEST POINT, 15,681 FEET (4,746 M.) ABOVE SEA LEVEL, AT GALERA.

THE LINE TO HUANCAYO HAS BEEN OPERATING FOR NEARLY 60 YEARS. IT RUNS ALONG A ROUTE TRACED BY THE POLISH ENGINEER ERNEST MALINOWSKI.

TWO TRAINS RUN DAILY FROM LIMA TO HUANCAYO. THEY ARE PATRONISED BY TOURISTS, MINE WORKERS AND FAMILIES LIVING IN THE REMOTE SETTLEMENTS HIGH IN THE ANDES.

BECAUSE OF THE STEEP GRADIENTS THE CARRIAGES HAVE BEEN SPECIALLY DESIGNED AND BUILT OF LIGHT WEIGHT STEEL. THE GRADIENT IS SUCH THAT EVERY TEN MILES (16 K.M.) THE ALTITUDE INCREASES ABOUT 1,000 FEET (3,048 M.).

THE AIR GETS SO THIN AS THE TRAIN CLIMBS THAT OXYGEN IS DISPENSED TO PASSENGERS, WHO FIND DIFFICULTY IN BREATHING AND BECOME VERY TIRED.