Tren de la Costa

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Tren de la Costa
Locale Greater Buenos Aires
Transit type Light rail
Began operation 1995
System length 15.5 km (9.6 mi)
Number of stations 11
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8½ in)
standard gauge

Tren de la Costa S.A. is a company that operates a 15.5 km (9.6 mi), 11-station light rail line in Greater Buenos Aires, between Maipú Avenue station in the northern suburb of Olivos and Delta station in Tigre partido, on the Río de la Plata. The line connects directly to the Linea Mitre at Maipú–Bartolomé Mitre station for direct access to Retiro terminus in the centre of the city. Tren de la Costa it is primarily a tourist service and is served by nine trains, each of two cars. Each train has a capacity of 200 passengers and travels at an average speed of 35 km/h. The journey time is 30 minutes, with a frequency of about 20 minutes.

The line was opened during the period 1891-96 as part of the Buenos Aires and Rosario Railway (BA&R) connecting Coglan junction in the Buenos Aires neighbourhood of Belgrano with the port of Tigre and was known as the Tren del Bajo. The line served as an alternative route to Tigre already served by the Buenos Aires Northern Railway. The line was later absorbed by the Central Argentine Railway when this company took over the (BA&R) in 1908. It was electrified in 1931, nationalised in 1948 when it became part of F.C. Mitre but in 1961 part of the system was abandoned and left to decay for 30 years. In 1990 plans were formulated for reopening the line and with railway privatisation in 1992 the Tren de la Costa company (part of the Sociedad Comercial del Plata) was formed to take over the concession for the service. The track was changed from 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge to 1,435 mm (4 ft 8½ in) standard gauge and in 1994, the first train carried the President of Argentina. Public services and the related commercial operations began in April 1995.

Tren de la Costa along jogging path
Tren de la Costa along jogging path

The line and its stations offer various forms of entertainment and enjoyment for both adults and children and is used by both tourists and commuters. Each station[1], seven of which are original stations refurbished, has history and art displays, and the stations at Maipú, Libertador and San Isidro have substantial shopping areas. Borges station by the marina of Olivos is 'the station of the arts' and has an art café with open-air sculptures, and is next to the Juan Carlos Altavista Cinema, one of the oldest still operating in the world. Anchorena station is the 'Tango station' with a cultural centre, and Barrancas station hosts an antiques fair. The route between Libertador and San Isidro has been adapted for use by walkers, joggers and cyclists. Delta station serves the Parque de la Costa, an amusement park, as well as Tigre's other important tourist attractions including the casino, an crafts fair, riverside restaurants and boat trips.

The line has not been wholly successful and has seen a large drop in passenger numbers since its opening. In 1995 there were around 100,000 journeys each weekend, but by 2005 there were just 150,000 a month, a third of which were foreign tourists. However, the current economic upturn may well reverse this trend. [2].

[edit] Stations

[edit] References

  1. ^ Güiraldes, Pablo. La costa en tren. summa+ Revista Nº 14. Retrieved on 2008-03-09. (Spanish)
  2. ^ El Tren de la Costa ya cumplió 10 años y no termina de arrancar. Clarín (2005). Retrieved on 2006-07-05. (Spanish)

[edit] External links

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