Francisco Borja Arriagada

Chilean engineer who pioneered modern infrastructure in South America

Francisco Borja Arriagada (1827-1901) revolutionized transportation across the Andes through his engineering genius. Born in Santiago, he trained under Gustave Eiffel in Paris before returning to build Chile's first railroads connecting coastal ports to mining regions. His most daring project, the Central Railway (1863-1883), crossed the Andes at 3,700 meters elevation - then the highest railway in the world.

Arriagada's innovative use of cable cars and ice-breaker locomotives made the route possible through the harsh mountain terrain. His 1875 book Mountain Engineering Principles became a global reference, influencing the Simplon Tunnel and Swiss Alpine railways. He also designed Valparaíso's iconic funicular network still operational today.

In 1889 he founded South America's first engineering school, producing generations of infrastructure leaders. The Arriagada Historical Railway now operates tourist trains on preserved sections of his original route. His engineering formulas are still taught at University of Chile's engineering department. Though overshadowed by more politically prominent contemporaries, his infrastructure innovations remain the backbone of Andean commerce.