Ferrocentral
Encyclopedia
Ferrocentral is a private railway company in Argentina
, its name being a combination of the Spanish
words for "Central Rail." It operates long-distance passenger trains from its base at Retiro Station in Buenos Aires
to several locations in northern Argentina. All of the train routes managed by Ferrocentral were previously operated by Ferrocarriles Argentinos
, the country's now-defunct national passenger railroad corporation. After the privatisation
of Ferrocarriles Argentinos starting in 1991, many train services across Argentina were indefinitely discontinued. Since the year 2005, however, Ferrocentral was formed and has successfully resurrected some passenger lines.
As of 2006, Ferrocentral operates the following passenger train services:
Most trains operate in the late night and early morning hours as the rail lines are used for transporting cargo during the daytime.
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...
, its name being a combination of the Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
words for "Central Rail." It operates long-distance passenger trains from its base at Retiro Station in 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...
to several locations in northern Argentina. All of the train routes managed by Ferrocentral were previously operated by Ferrocarriles Argentinos
Ferrocarriles Argentinos
Ferrocarriles Argentinos was a public company that managed the entire Argentine railway system for nearly 45 years. It was formed in 1948 when all the private railway companies were nationalised during Perón's first presidential term, and transformed into the Empresa de Ferrocarriles del Estado...
, the country's now-defunct national passenger railroad corporation. After the privatisation
Railway Privatisation in Argentina
Following a prolonged period of hyperinflation in the 1980s, accompanied by a steep increase in fiscal deficit and a sharp fall in reserves, the Argentine government, under the presidency of Carlos Menem from 1989, initiated a series of neoliberal reforms which included the privatisation of...
of Ferrocarriles Argentinos starting in 1991, many train services across Argentina were indefinitely discontinued. Since the year 2005, however, Ferrocentral was formed and has successfully resurrected some passenger lines.
As of 2006, Ferrocentral operates the following passenger train services:
- Buenos Aires to RosarioRosarioRosario 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 ....
(6 hours, twice weekly in each direction) - Buenos Aires to CórdobaCórdoba, ArgentinaCórdoba 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...
, via Rosario and Villa MaríaVilla MaríaVilla 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...
(14 hours, twice weekly each way) - Buenos Aires to Tucumán and points between (24-25 hours, once weekly each way)
- Villa María to Córdoba and points between (3 hours, 2-3 times weekly in each direction)
Most trains operate in the late night and early morning hours as the rail lines are used for transporting cargo during the daytime.
External links
- Ferrocentral, S.A. - Official website
- Satélite Ferroviario - contains extensive train schedule information for Argentina, including Ferrocentral timetables