Buenos Aires-Rosario-Córdoba high-speed railway
Encyclopedia
The Buenos Aires–Rosario–Córdoba high-speed railway (Tren de Alta Velocidad –TAVe) is a project designed to link the Argentine
cities of Buenos Aires
, Rosario
and Córdoba
through a 710 kilometres (441.2 mi) high-speed rail
network. The plan, announced by President Néstor Kirchner
during a press conference at the Casa Rosada
on 26 April 2006, would be the first in Argentina operating at up to 320 km/h (198.8 mph). The entire project is currently "on hold" due to the financial crisis.
and its metropolitan area has a population of more than 13 million, almost one third of the national total. It is the economic and political center of Argentina, and its main international entry point.
Rosario
, located about 286 km (177.7 mi) north-northwest of the capital, is the third-largest city and a major port
, with a metropolitan
population of 1.3 million. It is part of the agricultural and industrial core of the littoral region.
Córdoba
, with a population around 1.4 million, is located about 710 km (441.2 mi) from Buenos Aires, near the geographical center of Argentina. It is the second most populated metropolitan area, and a cultural, touristic, and industrial center.
Altogether, the three cities include 15 million inhabitants, or more than a third of the country's overall population of 40 million, while representing the three major cities. Rosario and Cordoba are vital centers in the farm sector, which has grown rapidly in recent years thanks to high commodity prices.
Currently, the main form of transportation between these three cities is by road, through National Route 9
(4 lane Highway from Buenos Aires to Rosario and 2 lane route from Rosario to Cordoba -Rosario to Cordoba highway is expected to be finished by 2009-), followed far behind by air travel.
It is expected that the high speed rail would act as an essential component in the revival of railways in Argentina, which will have a major impact on the economic development of the region for both faster passenger and cargo connections.
operating at up to 320 km/h (198.8 mph) with overhead catenary power lines
on a standard gauge
track of , it will run mainly on single-track, but with 55 km (34.2 mi) of double-track between Buenos Aires and Rosario to enable the nine trains/day on this section to pass one another at high speed and then to Córdoba on a new single-track alignment. Alstom is to provide eight 509-passenger double-deck
TGV
s equipped with ETCS
Level 2 signalling. The new line should provide a Buenos Aires
- Rosario
journey time of 85 minutes (for comparison, an intercity passenger bus takes about four hours), with Córdoba
reached 90 minutes later.
, Campana
, San Pedro
, San Nicolás de los Arroyos
, Cañada de Gómez
, Marcos Juárez
, Bell Ville
and Villa María
.
Four European firms presented themselves as bidders: Alstom
(French
), Siemens
(German
), CAF
(Spanish
) and Impregilo
(Italian
). Pre-contractual conditions stated that the national state will pay for the whole sum, but the firm in charge of the construction will finance 50%. When technical and financial bids were due in March 2007 only the Veloxia grouping of Alstom
, Isolux Corsan, Iecsa and Emepa came forward, and the consortium was selected as preferred bidder on 20 June 2007.
Veloxia was formally selected on 16 January 2008, with a contract to be signed 'in the next few months'.
Alstom will supply eight double-deck TGV
trains called 'Cobra'. IECSA will undertake civil engineering, Isolux Corsan and EMEPA will construct the track.
The Argentine state secretary of transport, Ricardo Jaime, announced on 27 March 2008 that the finance minister Martín Lousteau
and the consortium led by the French company Alstom approved a resolution to finance the Buenos Aires-Rosario-Cordoba High Speed Train (TAVe).
The credit line was provided by the French bank Natixis
, covering 100 % of the project. The financing scheme anticipates an investment of approximately 12,500 million Argentine pesos (ARS) (€ 2 billion or US$ 4 billion), to be financed with a long-term credit of 30 years that will be guaranteed with the delivery of the public titles.
, 400 km (248.5 mi) south of Buenos Aires city, though in this case, from Constitución railway station, in the central southeast part of the city.
According to the plan, the new route will enable an average speed of 250 km/h (155.3 mph) and a maximum of 320 km/h (198.8 mph). It would only have stations in Dolores
and Chascomús
and complete the journey to Mar del Plata in less than two hours. Today, the service is disrupted by serious deficiencies and delays and takes over seven hours, more than the service provided in the '50s by "El Marplatense" with speeds of up to 90 + mph (150 km/h) making the run in 3 hrs 45 min in then cutting edge Budd-built
formations.
, for being disproportionately expensive relative to the number of people benefitting from it. Poder Ciudadano also expressed its disapproval at the Argentine government's diversion of funds away from the already under-funded Buenos Aires metropolitan rail-service, which is used every day by millions of citizens.
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
cities of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Rosario
Rosario
Rosario is the largest city in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the western shore of the Paraná River and has 1,159,004 residents as of the ....
and Córdoba
Córdoba, Argentina
Córdoba is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas on the Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province. Córdoba is the second-largest city in Argentina after the federal capital Buenos Aires, with...
through a 710 kilometres (441.2 mi) high-speed rail
High-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
network. The plan, announced by President Néstor Kirchner
Néstor Kirchner
Néstor Carlos Kirchner was an Argentine politician who served as the 54th President of Argentina from 25 May 2003 until 10 December 2007. Previously, he was Governor of Santa Cruz Province since 10 December 1991. He briefly served as Secretary General of the Union of South American Nations ...
during a press conference at the Casa Rosada
Casa Rosada
La Casa Rosada is the official seat of the executive branch of the government of Argentina, and of the offices of the President. The President normally lives at the Quinta de Olivos, a compound in Olivos, Buenos Aires Province. Its characteristic color is pink, and is considered one of the most...
on 26 April 2006, would be the first in Argentina operating at up to 320 km/h (198.8 mph). The entire project is currently "on hold" due to the financial crisis.
Overview
Buenos AiresBuenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
and its metropolitan area has a population of more than 13 million, almost one third of the national total. It is the economic and political center of Argentina, and its main international entry point.
Rosario
Rosario
Rosario is the largest city in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the western shore of the Paraná River and has 1,159,004 residents as of the ....
, located about 286 km (177.7 mi) north-northwest of the capital, is the third-largest city and a major port
Port of Rosario
The Port of Rosario is an inland port and a major goods-shipping center of Argentina, located in the city of Rosario, province of Santa Fe, on the right-hand shore of the Paraná River, about 550 km upstream from the Atlantic Ocean.-Overview:...
, with a metropolitan
Greater Rosario
Greater Rosario is the metropolitan area of the city of Rosario, in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. This metropolis has a population of about 1.5 million , thus being Argentina's second most populated urban settlement, after Buenos Aires....
population of 1.3 million. It is part of the agricultural and industrial core of the littoral region.
Córdoba
Córdoba, Argentina
Córdoba is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas on the Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province. Córdoba is the second-largest city in Argentina after the federal capital Buenos Aires, with...
, with a population around 1.4 million, is located about 710 km (441.2 mi) from Buenos Aires, near the geographical center of Argentina. It is the second most populated metropolitan area, and a cultural, touristic, and industrial center.
Altogether, the three cities include 15 million inhabitants, or more than a third of the country's overall population of 40 million, while representing the three major cities. Rosario and Cordoba are vital centers in the farm sector, which has grown rapidly in recent years thanks to high commodity prices.
Currently, the main form of transportation between these three cities is by road, through National Route 9
National Route 9 (Argentina)
National Route 9 is a major road in Argentina, which runs from the center-east to the northwest of the country, crossing the provinces of Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Córdoba, Santiago del Estero, Tucumán, Salta and Jujuy...
(4 lane Highway from Buenos Aires to Rosario and 2 lane route from Rosario to Cordoba -Rosario to Cordoba highway is expected to be finished by 2009-), followed far behind by air travel.
It is expected that the high speed rail would act as an essential component in the revival of railways in Argentina, which will have a major impact on the economic development of the region for both faster passenger and cargo connections.
Features
A high-speed electric trainElectric locomotive
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...
operating at up to 320 km/h (198.8 mph) with overhead catenary power lines
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
on a standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
track of , it will run mainly on single-track, but with 55 km (34.2 mi) of double-track between Buenos Aires and Rosario to enable the nine trains/day on this section to pass one another at high speed and then to Córdoba on a new single-track alignment. Alstom is to provide eight 509-passenger double-deck
Bilevel car
The bilevel car or double-decker coach is a type of rail car that has two levels of passenger accommodation, as opposed to one, increasing passenger capacity ....
TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
s equipped with ETCS
European Train Control System
The European Train Control System is a signalling, control andtrain protection system designed to replace the many incompatible safety systems currently used by European railways, especially on high-speed lines.- History :...
Level 2 signalling. The new line should provide a Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
- Rosario
Rosario
Rosario is the largest city in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the western shore of the Paraná River and has 1,159,004 residents as of the ....
journey time of 85 minutes (for comparison, an intercity passenger bus takes about four hours), with Córdoba
Córdoba, Argentina
Córdoba is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas on the Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province. Córdoba is the second-largest city in Argentina after the federal capital Buenos Aires, with...
reached 90 minutes later.
Stations
The new train will link the cities along the central corridor through the agricultural heartland of Argentina. According to the current plan, there will be 20 train services daily, carrying about 7,500 passengers. Several intermediate stops are planned between the main ones, most likely in the cities of PilarPilar, Buenos Aires
Pilar is a city in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It has a population of more than 226,000 inhabitants as per the . Pilar is part of the Greater Buenos Aires urban conurbation and is the head of the administrative division of Pilar Partido...
, Campana
Campana, Buenos Aires
Campana is a city in the Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, in the Campana Partido. It is located about from Buenos Aires City, on the right-hand margin of the Paraná River, Its population is 84,000 inhabitants as per the ....
, San Pedro
San Pedro, Buenos Aires
San Pedro, which full name is Rincon de San Pedro Dávila de los Arrecifes, is a city and port of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, on the side of the Parana River. It's the head city of the Partido de San Pedro, which also includes the following settlements: Rio Tala, Gobernador Castro,...
, San Nicolás de los Arroyos
San Nicolás de los Arroyos
San Nicolás de los Arroyos is a city in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, on the western shore of the Paraná River, 61 km from Rosario. It has about 138,000 inhabitants . It is the head town of the partido of the same name...
, Cañada de Gómez
Cañada de Gómez
Cañada de Gómez is a city in the . It is the head town of the Iriondo Department and is located about west of Rosario and from the provincial capital, on National Route 9. It has a population of about 30,000 inhabitants ....
, Marcos Juárez
Marcos Juárez
Marcos Juárez is a city in the province of Córdoba, Argentina. It has 24,226 inhabitants per the , and is the head town of the Marcos Juárez Department...
, Bell Ville
Bell Ville
Bell Ville is a city in center-south of the province of Córdoba, Argentina, located 200 km southeast from the capital Córdoba City, on the intersection of National Route 9 and Provincial Route 3 with the Córdoba–Rosario–Buenos Aires railroad....
and Villa María
Villa María
Villa María is a city in Córdoba Province, Argentina, and the head town of the General San Martín Department. It is located in the center of rich agricultural land. The area leads the country in production of milk...
.
Bids, costs and financing
The total cost of the Buenos Aires–Rosario–Córdoba line was calculated at US$4 billion.Four European firms presented themselves as bidders: Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
(French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
), Siemens
Siemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....
(German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
), CAF
Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles
Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles is a rail equipment manufacturer based in Beasain in the Basque Country, Spain. Equipment manufactured by CAF includes light rail vehicles, rapid transit trains, railroad cars and locomotives, as well as variable gauge axles that can be fitted on any...
(Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
) and Impregilo
Impregilo
Impregilo S.p.A. is an Italian-based construction and civil engineering business headquartered in Milan. The company was founded in 1959 and, through mergers, has grown to become the leading Italian engineering and general contracting group in the construction and environmental sectors...
(Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
). Pre-contractual conditions stated that the national state will pay for the whole sum, but the firm in charge of the construction will finance 50%. When technical and financial bids were due in March 2007 only the Veloxia grouping of Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
, Isolux Corsan, Iecsa and Emepa came forward, and the consortium was selected as preferred bidder on 20 June 2007.
Veloxia was formally selected on 16 January 2008, with a contract to be signed 'in the next few months'.
Alstom will supply eight double-deck TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
trains called 'Cobra'. IECSA will undertake civil engineering, Isolux Corsan and EMEPA will construct the track.
The Argentine state secretary of transport, Ricardo Jaime, announced on 27 March 2008 that the finance minister Martín Lousteau
Martín Lousteau
Martín Lousteau was the Minister of Economy and Production of Argentina under the administration of President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, from December 10, 2007, until April 24, 2008...
and the consortium led by the French company Alstom approved a resolution to finance the Buenos Aires-Rosario-Cordoba High Speed Train (TAVe).
The credit line was provided by the French bank Natixis
Natixis
Natixis is a French corporate and investment bank created in November 2006 from the merger of the asset management and investment banking operations of Natexis Banque Populaire and IXIS ....
, covering 100 % of the project. The financing scheme anticipates an investment of approximately 12,500 million Argentine pesos (ARS) (€ 2 billion or US$ 4 billion), to be financed with a long-term credit of 30 years that will be guaranteed with the delivery of the public titles.
Timeline
- May 8, 2006: Licitation call (offerers qualification): Impregilo, Siemens, Alstom and CAF.
- July 25, 2006: Companies qualification act: Siemens, Alstom and CAF.
- December 20, 2006: Technical offers. Delayed two times until March 27, 2007: Only Alstom.
- January 30, 2007: Economic offers. Delayed two times until April 30, 2007.
- January 16, 2008: Argentina chooses Alstom-led consortium in partnership with Spanish and Argentine companies to build the first very high speed line in the Americas.
- March 27, 2008: Approval of a resolution for External financingExternal financingIn the theory of capital structure, External financing is the phrase used to describe funds that firms obtain from outside of the firm. It is contrasted to internal financing which consists mainly of profits retained by the firm for investment. There are many kinds of external financing...
. - April 29, 2008: President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner formally signed a turnkey contract with the Veloxia consortium for the construction of a 320 km/h line between Buenos Aires, Rosario and Córdoba.
- February 7, 2009: Alstom CEO announces entire project "on stand-by" due to the current financial crisis. Expresses optimism project will be completed in the future.
The Mar del Plata connection
The latest news about TAVe is the launching of the bidding process for a new line to the seaside beach resort city and major fishing port of Mar del PlataMar del Plata
Mar del Plata is an Argentine city located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, south of Buenos Aires. Mar del Plata is the second largest city of Buenos Aires Province. The name "Mar del Plata" had apparently the sense of "sea of the Río de la Plata region" or "adjoining sea to the Río de la Plata"...
, 400 km (248.5 mi) south of Buenos Aires city, though in this case, from Constitución railway station, in the central southeast part of the city.
According to the plan, the new route will enable an average speed of 250 km/h (155.3 mph) and a maximum of 320 km/h (198.8 mph). It would only have stations in Dolores
Dolores, Buenos Aires
Dolores is a town in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It is the head town of the Dolores Partido.The town settlement was officially founded by Ramón Lara on August 21, 1817.-2008 March train disaster:...
and Chascomús
Chascomús
Chascomús, is the principal city in Chascomús Partido in eastern Buenos Aires Province in eastern Argentina, located south of the capital Buenos Aires. As of 2001, the city had a population of 30,670 people.-History:...
and complete the journey to Mar del Plata in less than two hours. Today, the service is disrupted by serious deficiencies and delays and takes over seven hours, more than the service provided in the '50s by "El Marplatense" with speeds of up to 90 + mph (150 km/h) making the run in 3 hrs 45 min in then cutting edge Budd-built
Budd Company
The Budd Company is a metal fabricator and major supplier of body components to the automobile industry, and was formerly a manufacturer of stainless steel passenger rail cars during the 20th century....
formations.
Criticisms
The project has been heavily criticised by Poder Ciudadano, the Argentine dependency of the world wide anti-corruption NGO Transparency InternationalTransparency International
Transparency International is a non-governmental organization that monitors and publicizes corporate and political corruption in international development. It publishes an annual Corruption Perceptions Index, a comparative listing of corruption worldwide...
, for being disproportionately expensive relative to the number of people benefitting from it. Poder Ciudadano also expressed its disapproval at the Argentine government's diversion of funds away from the already under-funded Buenos Aires metropolitan rail-service, which is used every day by millions of citizens.
See also
- Rail transport in ArgentinaRail transport in ArgentinaThe Argentine railway network comprised of track at the end of the Second World War and was, in its time, one of the most extensive and prosperous in South America. However, with the increase in highway construction, there followed a sharp decline in railway profitability, leading to the break-up...
- Transportation in Argentina
- Patio ParadaPatio ParadaPatio Parada is a rail yard in Rosario, province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It is an important part of the railway system of the city and has been designed as the future site of a multi-modal public transport terminus. Formerly belonging to the Ferrocarril General Bartolomé Mitre company, it is now...
- Planned high-speed rail by countryPlanned high-speed rail by countryThis article lists planned or proposed high-speed rail projects, arranged by country. Although many nations have done preliminary feasibility studies, many lines are eventually shelved or postponed due to high cost, and only a few nations of those proposing are actively building high-speed rail lines...
News from around the world
- www.redorbit.com: High-Speed Rail Revolution in the Making
- www.railway-technology.com: Argentine High-Speed Railway
- www.wired.com: Argentina Says '¡Si!' to High Speed Rail
- www.europeanrailoutlook.com: International Railway Journal - Has privatisation come full circle?
- www.treehugger.com High-Speed Passenger Rail comes to the Americas.