Ghost railway, abandoned as a result of a terrorist attack | Black and White | Abandoned Shit Weekly Contest.
Tour made during September 2014, 51 years after the terrorist attack.
The assault on the train of El Encanto, an extremist act that impacted the early days of Venezuelan democracy.
Between 1835 and 1925, activities were developed around the laying of railroads in Venezuela.
Grosse Venezuela Eisenbahn, a company with German capital, was the one who administered the Great Venezuelan Railroad at the end of the 19th century.
On July 25, 1882, President Guzmán Blanco made the inaugural trip.
The 111 miles railway line ran from Caracas to Valencia.
In 1945 the Government proceeded to expropriate it.
In 1957, Nelson Rockefeller and Venezuelan President Rómulo Betancourt signed a pact in New York.
The main agreement was the elimination of the Gran Ferrocarril Venezuela, in order to increase the sales of the automotive sector.
And so it was that by the 1960s the railroad covered only the recreational route Caracas - El Encanto. Becoming a park.
On Sunday, September 29, 1963, as usual, about 500 people enjoyed the natural beauties offered by the route.
At 10:20 am in tunnel 10, the sound of the locomotive was combined with the noise of machine guns, in this way the assault on the El Encanto train was consummated, by a group of 15 heavily armed men, belonging to the Forces Armed Forces of National Liberation, a subversive group.
The assailants murdered 5 National Guards, and in the exchange of shots 2 children and 8 women were injured.
After this unfortunate event the railroad stopped working.
Subsequent efforts only resulted in its temporary opening, it was expected that by 2016 a new attempt would be made to reopen, but this was only in plans.
It was forgotten by the authorities from that moment and it is unlikely that resources will be invested in the short term.
Nature now governs what was once the technological pride of the area.
The journey through these abandoned rails is a challenge, both physical and mental, an extreme trekking. You must increase the caution to more than 32 feet in height, without any type of harness or safety rope.
A lonely walker reminded us of the legend that the spirit of a worker who carries a wrench and a machete wanders around.
Internal wall of one of the tunnels.
I captured the photos with cameras from Casio Nec Terrain and Fujifilm FinePix XP90.
The assault on the train of El Encanto, an extremist act that impacted the early days of Venezuelan democracy.
Between 1835 and 1925, activities were developed around the laying of railroads in Venezuela.
Grosse Venezuela Eisenbahn, a company with German capital, was the one who administered the Great Venezuelan Railroad at the end of the 19th century.
On July 25, 1882, President Guzmán Blanco made the inaugural trip.
The 111 miles railway line ran from Caracas to Valencia.
In 1945 the Government proceeded to expropriate it.
In 1957, Nelson Rockefeller and Venezuelan President Rómulo Betancourt signed a pact in New York.
The main agreement was the elimination of the Gran Ferrocarril Venezuela, in order to increase the sales of the automotive sector.
And so it was that by the 1960s the railroad covered only the recreational route Caracas - El Encanto. Becoming a park.
On Sunday, September 29, 1963, as usual, about 500 people enjoyed the natural beauties offered by the route.
At 10:20 am in tunnel 10, the sound of the locomotive was combined with the noise of machine guns, in this way the assault on the El Encanto train was consummated, by a group of 15 heavily armed men, belonging to the Forces Armed Forces of National Liberation, a subversive group.
The assailants murdered 5 National Guards, and in the exchange of shots 2 children and 8 women were injured.
After this unfortunate event the railroad stopped working.
Subsequent efforts only resulted in its temporary opening, it was expected that by 2016 a new attempt would be made to reopen, but this was only in plans.
It was forgotten by the authorities from that moment and it is unlikely that resources will be invested in the short term.
Nature now governs what was once the technological pride of the area.
The journey through these abandoned rails is a challenge, both physical and mental, an extreme trekking. You must increase the caution to more than 32 feet in height, without any type of harness or safety rope.
A lonely walker reminded us of the legend that the spirit of a worker who carries a wrench and a machete wanders around.
Internal wall of one of the tunnels.
I captured the photos with cameras from Casio Nec Terrain and Fujifilm FinePix XP90.