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.

Contents

Urban transport

By road

By railroad

Long distance transport

The railway system

Passenger sevice

Freight sevice

International links

Railway statistics

Fluvial transport

Merchant marine

Statistics

References

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 Córdoba, 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 Tranvía del Este (Eastern Tram) will be inaugurated in the middle of 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 5 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 train or tram system being planned.^[1]
Buenos Aires is the only Argentine city with an 'underground' system. Most of its lines connect the centre (''Micro-centro'') with areas in the outskirts. The Buenos Aires Metro (''Subterráneo de Buenos Aires'') has currently five working lines, each labelled with a letter from ''A'' to ''E''. There is a modern tram line (''Premetro'') line E2 that work as a fedeer of ''E'' subway line at their outer terminus. At Caballito district, there is an heritage tramway maintained by tram fans that operates on weekends, near the Primera Junta metro station (''A'' line). There is a suburban modern tramway line between the Bartolomé Mitre suburban railway station and Tigre (''Tren de la Costa''). As of 2006, subway line ''H'' is under construction, and three additional lines (''F, G, I'') are planned.

Long distance transport

Argentina being 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 thought 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 Aires–Rosario–Córdoba (still under construction). The Argentine road system, although extensive, does not cover the country entirely; for instance, National Route 40 from El Chaltén 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, 'airflights' are being used more and more often. Every provincial capital has its own airport, and there are many other working, 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, both because of economical and geographical reasons, there are flights between important cities, such as Córdoba, Rosario and Mendoza. The national airline is ''Aerolíneas 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. ^[2]
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. Still, the railroad network is far smaller than it once was.
Trenes de Buenos Aires (TBA), Ferrocentral, Ferrobaires, Tren Patagónico, and Ferrovías 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, Once de Septiembre and Retiro are stations located in Buenos Aires):

★ Plaza Constitución - Pinamar: twice a week R

★ Plaza Constitución - Mar del Plata: three trains daily, other added Friday. R

★ Plaza Constitución - Miramar: once a week R

★ Plaza Constitución - Ayacucho - Tandil: once a week

★ Plaza Constitución - Azul - Olavarría: five days a week R

★ Plaza Constitución - Bahía Blanca (via Lamadrid): three times a week R, D

★ Plaza Constitución - Bahía Blanca (via Coronel Pringles): two times a week R

★ Plaza Constitución - Carmen de Patagones: once a week R

★ Plaza Constitución - Saladillo - General Alvear: twice a week

★ Plaza Constitución - 25 de Mayo - Bolívar: five days a week

★ Plaza Constitución - 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 - Pehuajó: three times a week

★ Retiro - Junín: daily

★ Retiro - Rosario - Santa Fe: once a week

★ Retiro - Rosario - La Banda - Tucumán: twice a week R, D

★ Retiro - Rosario - Córdoba: twice a week R, D

★ Córdoba - 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 Sáenz Peña - 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 Histórico de Bariloche.
A diesel-electric “Tren de 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).
The national government is planning to build a high-speed rail between Buenos Aires and Rosario and conventional train at 160 km/h between Rosario and Córdoba. Four European firms are competing for the contract. Works are to last from the beginning of 2007 until the end of 2009. ''See Buenos Aires-Rosario-Córdoba high-speed railway for details.''

Freight sevice

★ Nuevo Central Argentino

★ Ferrosur Roca

★ Railroad Development Corporation

★ Belgrano Cargas

International links

★ Bolivia - 1000 mm gauge.

★ 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 [2].

★
★ - Central Trans-Andean Railway - defunct, pending reconstruction [3] - 100 km of mountain railway of 1000mm gauge with rack railway sections - break of gauge 1600 mm/1000 mm at either end.

★ Paraguay - 1435 mm gauge.

★ Uruguay - 1435 mm gauge.

★ Brazil - break of gauge, 1435 mm gauge (Argentina), 1000 mm gauge (Brazil).

Railway statistics

★ Total: 38,326 km (160 km electrified)

★
★ Broad gauge: 24,481 km 1676 mm gauge (134 km electrified)

★
★ Standard gauge: 2,765 km 1435 mm gauge (26 km electrified)

★
★ narrow gauge: 11,080 km 1000 mm gauge (1999)

Fluvial transport

Fluvial transport is not often used for people, with the exception of those who cross the Río 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 Paraná 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.

Merchant marine

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.)
;Waterways
10,950 km navigable
;Pipelines

★ Crude oil: 4,090 km

★ Petroleum products: 2,900 km

★ Natural gas: 9,918 km
;Ports and harbors

★ Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires, Comodoro Rivadavia, Concepción del Uruguay, La Plata, Mar del Plata

★ Necochea, Río Gallegos, Rosario, Santa Fe, San Antonio Oeste, Ushuaia
;Airports
Total (including airstrips): 1,359 (1999 est.)

With paved runways: ★ Total: 142 ★ Over 3,047 m: 5 ★ 2,438 to 3,047 m: 26 ★ 1,524 to 2,437 m: 60 ★ 914 to 1,523 m: 44 ★ Under 914 m: 7 (1999 est.)

With unpaved runways: ★ Total: 1,217 ★ Over 3,047 m: 2 ★ 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 ★ 1,524 to 2,437 m: 63 ★ 914 to 1,523 m: 614 ★ Under 914 m: 536 (1999 est.)

References

1. [1] Railway Gazette International
2. Argentina sets a new course. '' Railway Gazette International'' August 2007.