URUGUAY: Tracklaying on the Ferrocarril Central project to upgrade the 273 km main line between Montevideo and Paso de los Toros route has reached Las Piedras, north of the capital.
A final trainload of long rails for this section was delivered to Las Piedras on February 21.
Tracklaying work on the double-track section of the route between Montevideo and Km 28 is currently underway at Abayubá, south of Las Piedras, where the rails are being welded into long lengths and lifted into position by crane. However, the tracks cannot be laid through Las Peidras itself, pending the completion of a new trench being excavated as part of a grade separation project.
Signalling works have been completed on the Florida – Cardal – 25 de Agosto section of the route, but are still in progress in other locations.
Tracklaying has also started on the connection from the existing route to the new line being built around the town of Santa Lucía to avoid flooding. The existing line between Margat and the south end of the River Santa Lucia bridge is to be retained for use by passenger trains.
In order to accelerate work on the alignment, contractor CCFC transported a C18-7i locomotive leased from SELF, a batch of ballast wagons, a ballast regulator and tamping machines to a construction site north of Durazno by road on February 10.
Teyma, the local subsidiary of Spanish contractor Abengoa, is currently working on the connection to the loading tracks serving serve the future UPM pulp mill on the south bank of Rio Negro near Paso de los Toros. It is also building the trackwork to serve the rolling stock workshop for freight operating concessionaire Portren between Juanicó and Canelones. Construction of the workshop complex and operations hub has been underway since March 2022.
