Belgrano Cargas
| Company type | Government-owned enterprise |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | November 16, 1999 |
| Founder | Unión Ferroviaria and Laguna Paiva cooperative |
| Defunct | 2008 |
| Fate | Concession revoked; succeeded by Belgrano Cargas y Logística |
| Headquarters | Argentina |
Area served | Argentina and neighboring countries (Bolivia, Uruguay, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay) |
| Owner | Unión Ferroviaria (51%), Laguna Paiva cooperative (48%), Argentine government (1% golden share) |
Belgrano Cargas S.A. was an Argentine government-owned enterprise managing a freight rail system with a 1,000 mm gauge, originally constructed by the Central Northern Railway and Province of Santa Fe Railway. This network was later incorporated into the General Belgrano Railway following the 1948 nationalization process.
The railway extended across major provinces such as Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Córdoba, Mendoza, Santiago del Estero, San Juan, La Rioja, Catamarca, Tucumán, Chaco, Formosa, Salta, and Jujuy. Additionally, it provided rail connections between Argentina and neighboring nations including Bolivia, Uruguay, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay.
In recent times, the term "Belgrano Cargas" has often been inaccurately used by governmental bodies and media outlets to denote Argentina’s entire freight railway network, particularly the segments managed by Belgrano Cargas y Logística. Nevertheless, this freight system encompasses various Argentine railways beyond just the General Belgrano Railway.
History
As part of President Carlos Menem's 1992 railway privatization initiative, a 30-year operational concession was awarded to "Belgrano Cargas S.A." on 16 November 1999. The company was established through a partnership between the railway workers' union "Unión Ferroviaria" (holding 51%) and the industrial cooperative Laguna Paiva (with 48%), while the government maintained a 1% golden share along with the right to appoint one director.
The union encountered accusations concerning financial management but argued that inadequate government funding hindered efforts to rehabilitate the deteriorated rail line. Freight transport volume declined sharply from 3,287,515 tonnes in 1998 down to 500,000 tonnes by 2006.
During the administration of Néstor Kirchner, two bidding processes failed because of insufficient investor interest. A Chinese-led consortium including Shima and Argentine businessman Franco Macri proposed an investment of AR$1,400 million but withdrew after the government insisted on involving private operators Emepa Group and Grupo Roggio (owners of Ferrovías and Metrovías) alongside Unión Ferroviaria and other transport unions within the operating consortium.
In 2008, the government revoked Belgrano Cargas S.A.'s concession. Later, in May 2013, national decree established Belgrano Cargas y Logística to assume freight operations of the former Belgrano Cargas on the Ferrocarril General Manuel Belgrano. By June 2013, its scope expanded to include services from the railways of Ferrocarril General Urquiza, Ferrocarril General San Martín, and Ferrocarril Domingo Faustino Sarmiento.
See also
- Trenes Argentinos Cargas, company succeeding Belgrano Cargas