Formation of the Railway Workers’ Neighborhood in Riobamba: Historical Background, Workers’ Representation, and Its Integration into the Dynamics of the City (1924–1958)

Abstract

The article analyzes the historical development of the Railway Neighborhood of Riobamba from 1924 to the mid- 20th century, highlighting its significance as an urban and social heritage site. This neighborhood emerged in response to the housing needs of railway workers within the context of the economic and urban growth triggered by the arrival of the train to the city. The text focuses on three key events: the arrival of the train in 1924, the opening of the station in 1925, and the relocation of railway offices in 1938. These milestones marked the beginning of an organized working-class territorial occupation, with lodging houses, workshops, offices, and a planned neighborhood for railway employees. The study traces the neighborhood’s tentative location, the importance of the Railway Brotherhood, and the working conditions that justified its existence, as well as its later expansion and transformation. It also examines the social and urban changes that led to the creation of a new residential area in 1956, which, although still linked to the railway, lost the original neighborhood’s working class character. Finally, the article concludes that the 1938 Railway Neighborhood represents an early example of working-class urban planning in Riobamba, with a strong collective identity and historical value that should be acknowledged and protected as part of the city’s cultural heritage.