Buenos Aires Northern Railway
| Company type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Railway transport |
| Predecessor | Buenos Aires and San Fernando Railway |
| Founded | 1857 |
| Founder | Eduardo Hopkins |
| Defunct | 1888 |
| Fate | Acquired by Central Argentine Railway |
| Successor | Central Argentine Railway |
| Headquarters | Buenos Aires , Argentina |
Area served | Greater Buenos Aires, Argentina |
Key people | José Rodney Crosky |
| Products | Railway services (passenger and freight) |
| Owner | British investors |
| Parent | Central Argentine Railway (from 1888) |
The Buenos Aires Northern Railway (BANR) (Spanish: Ferrocarril del Norte de Buenos Aires) was a British-owned enterprise that operated a broad gauge railway network in Argentina during the latter part of the 19th century. It holds the distinction of being the first British railway company to establish operations in Argentina.
Background
In 1857, the government of Buenos Aires Province granted a concession to Eduardo Hopkins, proprietor of the Buenos Aires and San Fernando Railway (Ferrocarril de Buenos Aires a San Fernando), authorizing the construction of a 28 km railway line connecting Buenos Aires to San Fernando within Greater Buenos Aires.
The agreement, formalized with Governor Valentín Alsina, required building a horse-drawn railway from Aduana Nueva (located at Paseo de Julio and Victoria) to Retiro. From Retiro, passengers would transfer to a steam-powered train continuing onward to San Fernando, stopping at Belgrano and San Isidro along the route. The "Compañía del Ferrocarril a San Fernando" SA was created with an initial capital investment of $750,000. The provincial government guaranteed a 7% return for two decades and provided land for the railway’s development. As profits increased, the company committed to constructing stations at Retiro, Palermo, and Olivos.
Due to delays in commencing construction, the original concession was revoked. Subsequently, on February 25, 1862, a new concession was awarded to José Rodney Crosky, which was then transferred on October 17 of the same year to "Compañía del Ferrocarril del Norte de Buenos Aires," a firm based in London.
Expansion
Construction began at Retiro, and by December 1862, the segment reaching "Valentín Alsina" station (currently known as "Belgrano C") was inaugurated. By 1863, trains extended service to San Isidro, stopping at Rivadavia and Olivos. In February 1864, authorities authorized replacing horsecars with locomotives on the Aduana-Retiro section. The line further expanded to San Fernando in 1864 and reached Tigre by 1865, covering a total distance of 29 km. Although an extension toward Zárate was proposed, no additional track was laid before the railway was transferred to Central Argentine Railway in 1889.
By 1870, stations along the route included: 25 de Mayo (serviced by horsecars), Retiro, Palermo (later renamed "Recoleta"), Belgrano, Rivadavia, Olivos, San Isidro, San Fernando, and Tigre. BANR demonstrated strong financial performance early on, achieving returns of 8.19% in 1870 and increasing to 15.22% in 1871.
Additionally, the company developed a 1,700-meter branch line leading to San Fernando Canal, constructed by "Hopkins y Ocampo Constructora" and inaugurated in 1872. This branch facilitated freight transport from the Littoral region. However, following the opening of the Port of Buenos Aires in 1897, commercial activity on this branch diminished significantly. The San Fernando Canal branch was eventually closed during the 1970s, with most tracks removed under the management of Ferrocarriles Argentinos.
Central Station
On December 31, 1872, driven by developments from the Buenos Aires and Ensenada Port Railway, the Central Station commenced operations at the intersection of Paseo de Julio Avenue and Bartolomé Mitre. It functioned as a terminus for multiple lines including the Buenos Aires Western Railway, Buenos Aires and Rosario Railway, BA&E, and Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway. In 1873, BANR extended its route from Retiro to connect with Central Station.
To support this extension, BA&E expanded its viaduct that originally linked Casa Amarilla to Venezuela stations.
After Central Station was destroyed by fire on February 14, 1897—by which time ownership had passed to Central Argentine—BANR relocated its terminus back to Retiro. Meanwhile, BA&E moved its terminus first to Venezuela station and later to Casa Amarilla in the La Boca district. Following these changes, the iron viaduct spanning the city was dismantled.
In 1888, BANR became part of the Central Argentine Railway through acquisition.