MundoAndino Home : Andes Argentina Guide at MundoAndino
Transportation in Argentina
Transportation in Argentina is mainly based on a complex net of routes, crossed by relatively inexpensive long-distance buses and by cargo trucks. The country also has a number of national and international airports. The importance of the long-distance train is minor today, though in the past it was widely used. Fluvial transport is mostly used for cargo.
Within the urban areas, the main transportation system is usually the bus or colectivo; bus lines transport millions of people every day in the larger cities and their metropolitan areas. Buenos Aires additionally has an underground, the only one in the country, and Greater Buenos Aires is serviced by a system of urban trains.
Urban transport
By road
A majority of people employ public transport rather than personal cars to move around in the cities, especially in common business hours, since parking can be both difficult and expensive. Public transport is subsidized by the state, which makes it usually inexpensive; the subsidy for buses amounts to an important reduction of the effective price of diesel fuel.
The Colectivo (urban bus) lines cover the cities with numerous lines. Fares might be fixed for the whole city, or they might depend on the destination. Colectivos often cross municipal borders into the corresponding metropolitan areas. In some cases there are diferenciales (special services) which are faster, air-conditioned versions, and notably more expensive. Bus lines in a given city might be run by different private companies and/or by the municipal state, and they might be painted in different colours for easier identification. The quality of the service varies widely according to the city, line, and time of the day.
Besides the usual autonomous units, trolleybuses (buses powered by overhead electric wires) are operated in Cordoba, Mendoza and Rosario. Trams (streetcars), once common, were retired as public transportation in the 1960s. In 1980 an heritage tram line was opened in Buenos Aires Caballito district. In 1987 a modern tram line was opened as a fedeer of the subway system and a suburban tram opened in 1996. A 2 kilometre tram known as the Tranvia del Este (Eastern Tram) was inaugurated in September 14th, 2007 on Puerto Madero district in Buenos Aires using French Citadis trams.
Taxis are very common and relatively accessible price-wise. They have different colours and fares in different cities, though a highly contrasted black-and-yellow design is common to the largest conurbations. Call-taxi companies (radio-taxis) are very common and safe; illegal taxis are common in big cities, and robberies have been reported in those cases. The remisse is another form of hired transport: they are very much like call-taxis, but do not share a common design, and trip fares are agreed beforehand, although there are often fixed prices for common destinations.
Bicycles are not very common in big cities, as there are few bicycle-paths, making it difficult to move with them other than in recreational areas.
By railroad
Suburban trains connect Buenos Aires city with the Greater Buenos Aires area. Every day more than 1.3 million people commute to the Argentine capital for work and other business. These suburban trains work between 4 AM and 1 AM. Most of the lines are electric, but there are several diesel powered.
The only other city in Argentina with a system of suburban trains is Resistencia, the capital of Chaco Province. In Mendoza, there is a tram-train system being planned BA to test LRT Railway Gazette International September 2006.
Buenos Aires is the only Argentine city with an underground metro system. Most of its lines connect the city centre (Micro-centro) with areas in the outskirts. The Buenos Aires Metro (Subterraneo de Buenos Aires) has currently six working lines, each labelled with a letter from A to H. A modern tram line (PreMetro) line E2 works as a fedeer of metro line E at their outer terminus as well as the Urquiza line U for metro line B in Chacarita. There is a Heritage streetcar maintained by tram fans that operates on weekends, near the Primera Junta line A metro station at the Caballito neighbourhood. A modern tramway line between the Bartolome Mitre suburban railway station and Tigre (Tren de la Costa) operates in the northern suburbs
As of 2008, extension of lines A, B, E and H are under construction, and three additional lines are planned.
Long distance transport
Because Argentina is almost 4,000 kilometres long, and more than 1,000 km wide, long distance transportation is an important issue. Besides a few toll highways, there are lots of national and provincial routes that spread throughout the country, and that are used by cars and long distance buses.
Argentine's routes are usually simple one-lane-per-side roads, driving on the right-hand-side. There are a few highways between some important cities, such as the Panamerican National Route 9 Buenos AiresRosarioCordoba (still under construction). The Argentine road system, although extensive, does not cover the country entirely; for instance, National Route 40 from El Chalten to Esquel is still being paved. South sea-side backbone National Route 3 runs from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia.
Argentine long distance buses are fast, affordable and comfortable. With three different services regarding the number of stops and type of seats, called Regular, Semi-cama (semi-bed), and Cama (bed), with Cama being similar to an airline's business class. Some services have also on-board dinner, while others stop at canteens by the road. Long and middle-distance buses cover almost all paved-accessible cities and towns, and most of the other towns and villages.
Though expensive in comparison with the other means of transportation, air travel is becoming increasingly common. Every provincial capital has its own airport, and there are many others, specially in tourist areas such as Bariloche and El Calafate (see list of airports in Argentina). Most companies have several daily flights to the most popular destinations, and daily or less frequent flights to other destinations. Even though Buenos Aires is the most important flight hub, for both economical and geographical reasons, there are flights between important cities, such as Cordoba, Rosario and Mendoza. The national airline is Aerolineas Argentinas.
The railway system
Passenger sevice
Services on Argentina's passenger railway system, once extensive and prosperous, were greatly reduced in 1993 following the break-up of Ferrocarriles Argentinos (FA), the now-defunct state railroad corporation Argentina sets a new course. Railway Gazette International August 2007..
Since that date, however, several private and provincial railway companies have been created and have resurrected some of the major passenger trains that FA once operated. The railroad network is, however, far smaller than it once was.
Trenes de Buenos Aires, Ferrocentral, Ferrobaires, Patagonico, and Ferrovias are some of the private companies which now manage Argentina's passenger rail network. The following is a list of most of the current long distance passenger trains in operation :
Plaza Constitucion - Pinamar: twice a week R
Plaza Constitucion - Mar del Plata: three trains daily, other added Friday. R
Plaza Constitucion - Miramar: daily R
Plaza Constitucion - Ayacucho - Tandil: once a week
Plaza Constitucion - Azul - Olavarria: five days a week R
Plaza Constitucion - Bahia Blanca (via Lamadrid): three times a week R, D
Plaza Constitucion - Bahia Blanca (via Coronel Pringles): twice a week R
Plaza Constitucion - Carmen de Patagones: once a week R
Plaza Constitucion - Saladillo - General Alvear: twice a week
Plaza Constitucion - 25 de Mayo - Bolivar: five days a week
Plaza Constitucion - Daireaux: once a week
Once - Chivilcoy - Bragado: daily
Once - Los Toldos - Lincoln: once a week
Once - 9 de Julio - Carlos Casares: four days a week
Once - Pehuajo: three times a week
Retiro - Junin: daily
Retiro - Rosario - Santa Fe: once a week
Retiro - Rosario - La Banda - Tucuman: twice a week R, D
Retiro - Rosario - Cordoba: twice a week R, D
Cordoba - Villa Maria: twice a week
Viedma - San Antonio Oeste - S. C. de Bariloche: thrice weekly R, D
Ing. Jacobacci - San Carlos de Bariloche: thrice weekly
Federico Lacroze - Concordia - Monte Caseros - Posadas: twice a week R
Basavilbaso - Villaguay Central - Concordia: five days a week to Villaguay, twice weekly to Concordia.
Resistencia - La Sabana - Los Amores: to La Sabana daily, to Los Amores three days a week
Roque Saenz Pena - Pinedo - Chorotis: daily
Resistencia suburban service: several trains daily
R = Restaurant, at least in most of the trip.
D= Sleeping car
There are also a number of steam powered heritage railways (tourist trains) in operation, the Old Patagonian Express (locally known as La Trochita) in Patagonia, the Train of the End of the World (Southern Fuegian Railway) in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego and a short run Tren Historico de Bariloche.
A diesel-electric Tren a las Nubes in the province of Salta runs from the city of Salta to San Antonio de los Cobres, (at present this service is being restored).
High speed rail
See Buenos Aires-Rosario-Cordoba high-speed railway for details.
The national government is planning to build an electric high-speed rail between Buenos Aires, Rosario and Cordoba, with speeds up to 320 km/h. Four European firms competed for the contract, with only Alstom-led "Veloxia" consortium making a bid. The project was granted to Veloxia on 16 January 2008, with 60 days to sign the definite contract. Works are to last from mid-2008 until the end of 2010.
In 2007 bids were called for a turnkey contract for a second high speed line, linking Buenos Aires and Mendoza.
In February 2008 national government announced another call for bid, this time for construction of a high speed train linking Buenos Aires and Mar del Plata; The Mar del Plata TAVe.
Freight sevice
Nuevo Central Argentino
Ferroexpreso Pampeano
Ferrosur Roca
America Latina Logistica
Belgrano Cargas
International rail links to adjacent countries
Bolivia - 1000 mm gauge both countries.
Chile - IRJ of March 2005 reports construction started to build/restore (?) South Trans-Andean Railway link between Zapala, Argentina and Lonquimay, Chile. Possible break-of-gauge. Possible rack railway [*].
Transandine Railway between Mendoza and Valparaiso, now defunct, pending reconstruction [*]. This mountain railway of gauge with rack railway sections had a break of gauge /1m at either end.
Paraguay - gauge both countries.
Uruguay - 1435 mm gauge both countries.
Brazil - break of gauge, 1435 mm gauge (Argentina)/1000 mm gauge (Brazil).
Incidents
A passenger train slammed into a bus at a rural Argentine rail crossing, near Dolores, some 125 miles south of Buenos Aires, before dawn March 9 2008, killing 18 people and leaving at least 47 others injured. [*]
Timeline
2007
September - high speed line from Buenos Aires to Mendoza proposed
Railway statistics
Total: 38,326 km (160 km electrified)
* Broad gauge: 24,481 km gauge (134 km electrified)
* Standard gauge: 2,765 km gauge (26 km electrified)
* Narrow gauge: 11,080 km gauge (1999)
Fluvial transport
Fluvial transport is not often used for people, with the exception of those who cross the Rio de la Plata from Buenos Aires to Colonia del Sacramento and Montevideo, both in Uruguay. Other services are exclusively used as river crossing, such as those in Tigre.
River traffic is mostly made up of cargo, especially on the Parana River, which is navigable by very large ships (Panamax kind) downstream from the Greater Rosario area. This area produces and/or ships most of the agricultural exports of Argentina.
Statistics
City with metro: Buenos Aires (subte).
There are two modern tram lines (E2 and "Tren de la Costa") and a heritage tramway in the Caballito district that operates on weekends.
;Highways
Total: 215,434 km
Paved: 63,553 km (including 734 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 151,881 km (1998 est.)
;Waterways10,950 km navigable
;Pipelines
Crude oil: 4,090 km
Petroleum products: 2,900 km
Natural gas: 9,918 km
;Ports and harbors
;AirportsTotal (including airstrips): 1,359 (1999 est.)
See also
Rail transport by country
Need more information for your travel research or homework?
Ask your questions at the forum about Transportation in Argentina or help others to find answers.
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Transportation in Argentina
