Tarapacá students learn history of Alto Barranco railway station

Students in the Chanavayita cove participated in an interactive exhibition designed to teach them about the railway and saltpeter heritage of the Tarapacá region. The initiative, led by the Heritage area of the Corporación Regional de Desarrollo Tarapacá (CRDT), focused on the history of the former Alto Barranco railway station.

The station was a vital part of an ancient system that connected the saltpeter pampa to the port of Patillos via a 93-kilometer track constructed starting in 1872. To bring this history to life, the project utilized theater performances by Utopía Teatro, audiovisual materials, interactive games, and virtual reality experiences that allowed students to virtually visit old worker camps and observe period trains.

The project, titled ‘Recognition and dissemination of the cultural values of the former Alto Barranco Railway Station’, aims to rescue regional memory and highlight historical importance. It is funded by the 2024 Tarapaqueño Archaeological Coastal Cultural Heritage Fund from Teck Quebrada Blanca.