Transportation in Argentina
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Transportation in Argentina is mainly based on a complex network 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.
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[edit] Public transport
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. Cycling is not very common in big cities, as there are few bicycle-paths, making it difficult to move with them other than in recreational areas.
[edit] Bus
The Colectivo (urban bus) 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.
[edit] Tram
Trams (streetcars), once common, were retired as public transportation in the 1960s but are now in the stages of a slow comeback. In 1987 a modern tram line was opened as a fedeer of the subway system. A modern light rail line between the Bartolomé Mitre suburban railway station and Tigre (Tren de la Costa) inaugurated in 1996 operates in the northern suburbs. A 2 kilometre tram known as the Tranvía del Este (Eastern Tram) was inaugurated 2007 in the Puerto Madero district in Buenos Aires using French Citadis trams[1].
Trolleybuses (buses powered by overhead electric wires) are operated in Córdoba, Mendoza and Rosario.
[edit] Taxi
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.
[edit] Commuter rail
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, several are diesel powered, while some of these are currently being converted to electric.
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[2].
[edit] Metro
As of 2008, Buenos Aires is the only Argentine city with an underground metro system, nonetheless there is a project to build a system in the city of Córdoba (Córdoba Metro) making it the second metro system in Argentina. At the Buenos Aires Metro most of its lines connect the city centre (Micro-centro) with areas in the outskirts. The Buenos Aires Metro (Subterráneo de Buenos Aires) has currently six 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. Daily ridership is 1.3 million and on the increase.
As of 2008, extension of lines A, B, E and H are under construction[3], and three additional lines (F, G, I) are planned.
[edit] Road transport
Argentina is almost 4,000 kilometres long, and more than 1,000 km wide, long distance transportation is of great importance. Several toll highways criss cross the landscape but many two lane national and provincial routes spread throughout the country, and that are used by cars and long distance buses. Driving is on the right-hand-side. Highways between some important cities, such as the Panamerican National Route 9 Buenos Aires–Rosario–Córdoba (under construction). The Argentine road system, although extensive, does not cover the country entirely. South sea-side backbone National Route 3 runs from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia.
[edit] Long distance buses
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, towns and villages.
[edit] Rail transport
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It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Rail transport in Argentina. (Discuss) |
[edit] Long-distance passenger services
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[4].
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, 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 operating from Plaza Constitucion, Estación Once and Retiro are rail terminus located in the centre of Buenos Aires:
- Plaza Constitución - Pinamar: twice a week – R
- Plaza Constitución - Mar del Plata: three trains daily, other added Friday – R
- Plaza Constitución - Miramar: daily – 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): twice 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
- Federico Lacroze - Concordia - Monte Caseros - Posadas: twice a week – R
Other province destinations:
- 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
- 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 car
- D= Sleeping car
[edit] Tourist railways
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 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).
[edit] High speed rail
See Buenos Aires-Rosario-Córdoba high-speed railway for details.
A high-speed rail between Buenos Aires, Rosario and Córdoba with speeds up to 320 km/h is being planned, 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 [5]. Works are to last from mid-2008 until the end of 2012.
In 2007 bids were called for a turnkey contract for a second high speed line, linking Buenos Aires and Mendoza[6].
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[7], [8].
[edit] Freight sevice
- Nuevo Central Argentino
- Ferroexpreso Pampeano
- Ferrosur Roca
- América Latina Logística
- Belgrano Cargas
[edit] 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 [3].
- Transandine Railway between Mendoza and Valparaíso, now defunct, pending reconstruction [4]. This mountain railway of 1,000 mm (3 ft 3⅜ in) gauge with rack railway sections had a break of gauge 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm)/1m at either end.
- Paraguay - 4 ft 8½ in (1,435 mm) gauge both countries.
- Uruguay - 1435 mm gauge both countries.
- Brazil - break of gauge, 1435 mm gauge (Argentina)/1000 mm gauge (Brazil).
[edit] Railway statistics
- Total: 38,326 km (160 km electrified)
- Broad gauge: 24,481 km 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) gauge (134 km electrified)
- Standard gauge: 2,765 km 4 ft 8½ in (1,435 mm) gauge (26 km electrified)
- Narrow gauge: 11,080 km 1,000 mm (3 ft 3⅜ in) gauge (1999)
[edit] Air travel
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 Córdoba, Rosario and Mendoza. The national airline is Aerolíneas Argentinas.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Merchant marine
 Statistics for the Shipping Industry of Argentina |
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| Total: 137 ships (1,000 gross register tons (GRT) or over) | |||||
| Totalling: 2,038,923 GRT/3,057,820 metric tons of deadweight (DWT) | |||||
| Cargo ships | |||||
| Bulk ships | 21 | ||||
| Cargo ship | 21 | ||||
| Container ships | 8 | ||||
| Roll-on/Roll-off ships | 8 | ||||
| Tanker ships | |||||
| Liquefied gas tanker ships | 12 | ||||
| Chemical tanker ships | 8 | ||||
| Petroleum tanker ships | 47 | ||||
| Passenger ships | |||||
| Combined passenger/cargo | 12 | ||||
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| Source: This article contains material from the CIA World Factbook which, as a US government publication, is in the public domain. | |||||
[edit] Statistics
- Total: 215,434 km
- Paved: 63,553 km (including 734 km of expressways)
- Unpaved: 151,881 km (1998 est.)
10,950 km navigable
- Crude oil: 4,090 km
- Petroleum products: 2,900 km
- Natural gas: 9,918 km
Total (including airstrips): 1,359 (1999 est.)
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With paved runways:
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With unpaved runways:
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This article contains material from the CIA World Factbook which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain.
[edit] References
- ^ You must specify title = and url = when using {{cite web}}.Atta, Carlos (2008). . La Nación. Retrieved on 2008-03-06. (Spanish)
- ^ BA to test LRT Railway Gazette International September 2006
- ^ [1]Subterráneos de Buenos Aires S.E.
- ^ Argentina sets a new course. Railway Gazette International August 2007.
- ^ [2]Alstom press release, 16 January 2008
- ^ "Mendoza bids", Railway Gazette International, 2007-08-23.
- ^ ""Bullet train for Mar del plata"", 2008-08-02.
- ^ IRJSeptember 2007, p524
[edit] See also
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