Buenos Aires Western Railway
| Company type | Private (initially), later provincial ownership, then British-owned |
|---|---|
| Industry | Railway transport |
| Predecessor | Sociedad del Camino-Ferrocarril al Oeste |
| Founded | August 29, 1857 in Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Founder | Luis Elordi (administrator), supported by Dalmacio Vélez Sársfield, Bartolomé Mitre, Mariano Billinghurst |
| Defunct | 1890 (ownership transferred) |
| Fate | Ownership transferred to British firm "Buenos Aires Western Railway" |
| Successor | Part of Domingo Sarmiento Railway system |
| Headquarters | Buenos Aires , Argentina |
Area served | Buenos Aires and western suburbs |
Key people | Luis Elordi (first administrator), Alfonso Covassi (first mechanic) |
| Products | Passenger and freight rail transport |
| Owner | Buenos Aires Province (1857–1890), then British firm |
Number of employees | ~150 laborers (during initial construction) (1854 (construction period)) |
Buenos Aires Western Railway
The Buenos Aires Western Railway (BAWR; Spanish: Ferrocarril Oeste de Buenos Aires), which opened on 29 August 1857 in Buenos Aires, holds the distinction of being Argentina's inaugural railway and served as the cornerstone for the country's vast rail infrastructure. The first train was pulled by the British-made locomotive La Porteña, produced by EB Wilson & Company in Leeds.
As one of the prominent Big Four broad gauge (5 ft 6 in) rail companies established by British interests, BAWR played a pivotal role in expanding Argentina's railway system. Its original stretch covered 10 km, connecting Del Parque station—currently the location of Teatro Colón—to Floresta station, which was then part of the village San José de Flores. The route traced what are now Lavalle, Enrique S. Discépolo, Avenida Corrientes, Avenida Pueyrredón, and aligned with the present-day path of the Domingo Sarmiento Railway.
The initiative began under the private "Sociedad del Camino-Ferrocarril al Oeste," but funding and full ownership eventually fell to Buenos Aires province, which at that time functioned as an autonomous state within the Argentine Confederation. The province retained control over the railway for 27 years, highlighting its profitability, operational efficiency, and more affordable fares compared to British-run lines.
In 1890, pressured by British financial interests and Argentina’s mounting debt, ownership transferred to the British firm "Buenos Aires Western Railway." Today, this network is integrated into the Domingo Sarmiento Railway system.
Background
In 1854, during Buenos Aires' period as an independent state within the Argentine Confederation, Governor Pastor Obligado authorized the Buenos Aires Western Railroad Society to construct a railway extending west from Buenos Aires. This authorization was formalized through legislation on 9 January, supported by financiers such as Dalmacio Vélez Sársfield, Bartolomé Mitre, and Mariano Billinghurst.
The railway’s strategic value had been championed by Juan Bautista Alberdi, who regarded it as a catalyst for Argentina’s progress. Other notable advocates included Domingo Faustino Sarmiento and Justo José de Urquiza. On 17 September 1853, merchants forming the Railway Society petitioned to build a steam-powered line for both passenger and freight transport. However, before construction commenced in 1854, they requested exemption from mandatory steam use, suggesting horse-drawn carriages instead due to cost-efficiency and local availability. This reflected apprehension about expenses, unfamiliarity with locomotive technology, and skepticism regarding passenger demand and guaranteed income. Ultimately, steam locomotives were procured.
To facilitate construction, Buenos Aires province enacted laws granting public land donations, duty-free importation of materials, and tax exemptions.
Key engineering contributions came from Verger (initial designs), Mouillard (route grading), and William Bragge, who brought experience from Brazil’s pioneering railway project. The workforce numbered approximately 150 laborers.
Locomotive and carriages
The steam locomotive La Porteña arrived on 25 December 1856. Manufactured by E. B. Wilson and Company at The Railway Foundry in Leeds, England, it was acquired by engineer Luis Elordi—the first administrator of the railroad company—and accompanied by mechanics John and Tomas Allan.
A widely circulated but discounted tale suggests that this locomotive was shipped via Crimea due to associations with the Crimean War and originally built for India; however, investigations from the 1950s refute this based on gauge incompatibilities and timeline discrepancies. Contemporary accounts indicate that engines from the GCCR were sent to Argentina; explorer Richard Francis Burton noted a similar locomotive moved from Balaklava to Buenos Aires before being forwarded to Paraguay.
Transported inland by a carriage drawn by thirty oxen, La Porteña was a 0-4-0 saddle tank engine with a weight of , capable of speeds up to . It remained in service until August 1889 before being relegated to shunting duties for another decade. Today it is preserved at the Provincial Transport Museum within the Enrique Udaondo Provincial Museographic Complex in Luján, Buenos Aires Province, displayed alongside one of its original wooden passenger cars.
The company’s first mechanic was Alfonso Covassi from Italy, who had prior experience working on Tuscany’s Strada Ferrata Leopoldina line.
The second locomotive named La Argentina operated alongside La Porteña before being transferred to Paraguay in 1869 under Domingo Sarmiento’s direction along with four other engines titled Rauch, Libertad, Indio amigo, and Voy a Chile. The latter name referenced an official decree aiming to extend the line toward the Andes, although it never reached Chile.
Initially, the train consisted of four wooden carriages accommodating 30 passengers each through central side doors; these cars were lit by oil lamps and considered quite luxurious at that time. Additionally, there were twelve freight wagons designed to carry loads up to five tons each.
Inauguration and Initial Public Journey
Although the train's official launch was postponed from January 1857 due to rain, a successful trial run was conducted that same month. On 7 April, a derailment at low speed occurred during testing, fortunately resulting in no casualties. Additional trials took place in June and August, including a significant trip with La Porteña transporting distinguished guests such as Bartolomé Mitre, Dalmacio Vélez Sársfield, and Valentín Alsina. The return leg ended in a derailment near Almagro station caused by excessive velocity, which led to minor injuries and damage to the tracks.
Raquel Fusoni Elordi, granddaughter of company manager Luis Elordi, recalled in 1957 that the early rails imported from Europe were incomplete, necessitating the use of wooden rails covered with sheet metal that frequently required maintenance. An early derailment during testing was deliberately concealed to prevent public concern. On 30 August, the inauguration was almost disrupted when vandals attempted to overturn La Porteña, an act thwarted by Elordi.
Vandalism remained a persistent issue; an 1857 report detailed theft of crossbars and removal of poles along the railway line, impeding operations. Despite these obstacles, a successful test on 27 August coincided with the company's launch of Argentina's first telegraph system to enhance rail communications.
The formal opening on 29 August 1857 was led by Buenos Aires governor Valentín Alsina and attended by prominent political figures and members of the Railroad Society. After a ceremonial blessing of the locomotives La Porteña and La Argentina, the inaugural trip departed from the festively adorned station to La Floresta terminal, where passengers were offered refreshments.
Regular service commenced on 30 August 1857 with twice-daily trips, soon supplemented by nighttime schedules. Ticket fares were set at $10 for first class and $5 for second class. By the end of that year, the railway had transported 56,190 passengers and 2,257 tons of freight within a city population of approximately 170,000. In 1858, passenger numbers increased to 185,566 and cargo volume reached 6,747 tons.
The Original Track Layout
The location of the initial station was heavily influenced by real estate interests, with confidential meetings held at antiques dealer Manuel José Guerrico's residence. Ultimately, the station was established opposite "Plaza del Parque" (later known as Plaza General Lavalle), near today's Teatro Colón, bounded by Cerrito, Tucumán, Libertad, and Viamonte streets. This placement stimulated rapid urban development and landscaping enhancements around the plaza.
In 1858, the company launched a horse-drawn omnibus service linking Defensa, Perú, and Piedras streets to both the park station and Plaza Concepción.
The inaugural route extended 10 km on a broad gauge of 1,676 mm (5'6"), consistent with some colonial English railways. For pedestrian safety, tall iron railings imported from England enclosed the route’s starting point.
Departing from Del Parque station, the line meandered westward through the square towards Talcahuano and Lavalle streets, generating complaints from nearby residents about environmental disruption. The track continued along Lavalle past Artillery Park (now occupied by the Palace of Justice) to Callao boulevard (Avenida Callao), then curved southeast in an S-shaped pattern towards avenida Corrientes. This distinctive section is immortalized in Marino Santa María’s murals on adjacent building facades.
From Corrientes avenue, the railway proceeded straight to Pueyrredón avenue (formerly "Centroamérica"), then made a sharp turn onto Cangallo street (currently Juan Domingo Perón), before heading west into West Market (Plaza Miserere) and reaching the wooden Once de Septiembre station (later replaced by Once railway station), accessible via Ecuador street. The station’s name commemorated the 1852 Buenos Aires Province uprising against the Federal Government.
Workshops were located between Corrientes, Paso, Tucumán, and Pueyrredón until their closure in 1887. The line then ran parallel to present-day Bartolomé Mitre avenue toward a triangular plot near Medrano, Pelufo, and Lezica streets where an unstaffed wooden Almagro station served a sparsely inhabited rural area until it closed in 1887.
At that period, Medrano street marked the boundary of Buenos Aires city ("Camino del Límite"). Beyond this lay San José de Flores. Two kilometers west at what is now Federico García Lorca street (formerly Caballito and later Cucha Cucha), trains stopped at Caballito station—a structure built with wood and cardboard named after an 1804 pulpería owned by Genovese merchant Nicolás Vila that featured a horse-shaped weather vane.
Passing affluent Caballito estates near Caracas street (then Paz), trains arrived at San José de Flores station. Due to a land dispute in 1862, this station was relocated approximately 250 meters west to present-day Gral. José Gervasio Artigas street (then Sud América). At that time Flores consisted mainly of a church temple, plaza, small houses, and limited commercial establishments.
Continuing westward at 10 km from origin between Joaquín V. González ("Esperanza") and Bahía Blanca ("De La Capilla") streets stood Floresta station—a wooden structure briefly named "Vélez Sársfield" before being replaced in 1862 by a modern building.
By 1858, the railway extended 8 km further to Ramos Mejía, reaching Morón in 1859 and Moreno in 1860—bringing its total length to approximately 39 km.
Acquisition by Buenos Aires Authorities
The government of Buenos Aires played a pivotal role financially in founding the enterprise, contributing over one million pesos without seeking dividends and providing an extra six million pesos to facilitate the railway's extension. On 1 January 1863, it became the exclusive proprietor by purchasing the shares held by private investors. Under governmental oversight, the railway extended to 177 km by 1870, carrying more than 500,000 passengers and hauling 166,551 tons of freight annually, yielding a 9.78% return on invested capital.
By March 1865, the line reached Mercedes and further extended to Chivilcoy in 1866 without additional state funding. A law enacted in November 1868 required the Ferrocarril Oeste de Buenos Aires (FCO) to push its lines toward the Andes, aiming to connect Atlantic and Pacific routes. While planning this expansion, FCO extended service to cities such as Chivilcoy, Bragado, 9 de Julio, Pehuajó, and Trenque Lauquen. The company proposed constructing a Merlo–Lobos–Azul route but abandoned it after the Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway (BAGSR) received approval in 1872 to extend its line to Azul.
During the yellow fever outbreak of 1871, FCO inaugurated a mortuary rail branch from Bermejo station to Parque Los Andes cemetery—later known as La Chacarita Cemetery—earning the nickname "train of death." John Allan, who was FCO’s first driver of La Porteña, operated this service and succumbed to the epidemic at age 36.
Urban development by 1873 prompted initiatives to elevate tracks between Plaza del Parque terminus and Once de Septiembre station for safety improvements. The railway reached Bragado in 1877. The new Once station building was inaugurated on 20 December 1882; although municipal authorities ordered relocation of the terminus there in April 1878, FCO postponed this move until January 1883. By 1879, the network covered 297 km with net earnings of $16.8 million; it expanded to 583 km and $21.6 million profit by 1883; by 1885, it extended to 892 km.
In June 1884, Del Parque station offices were occupied by the Army’s General Staff. The Deliberative Council authorized demolition in September 1886 to construct Teatro Colón on that site; work began in April 1890 and continues as a prominent landmark today. That same year saw a new building replace Once de Septiembre’s original wooden station.
In 1885, FCO operated these routes:
| Origin | Destination |
|---|---|
| Once | 9 de Julio |
| Las Catalinas | |
| Riachuelo | |
| Bermejo | Chacarita |
| Merlo | Lobos–Saladillo |
| Luján | Pergamino |
| Pergamino | Junín |
| San Nicolás | |
| Tolosa | La Plata |
| Ensenada | |
| Ferrari (currently Brandsen) | |
| Temperley–Cañuelas |
Transfer to British Ownership
British financiers aimed to acquire the railway at a bargain price, driven less by operational profits than by opportunities to expand markets for British-manufactured goods. Edward Thornton, serving as British government minister in Buenos Aires, observed that the "Gran Sur de Buenos Aires" railway would open new avenues for British exports such as locomotives, bricks, bridges, sanitation apparatuses, and coal.
Shortly after President Juárez Celman took office (1886–1890), major lines including Ferrocarril Andino (1886), Central Norte (1887), and Western Railway were sold to British firms. In an address in 1887, Celman announced intentions to privatize public assets to reduce debt while criticizing inefficiencies within state management.
By 1887, FCO's network reached 1,022 km and expanded further to 1,210 km by 1889. The line extended up to Trenque Lauquen by 1890 prior to its sale. In 1888, a segment near La Plata was sold from Western Railway to Buenos Aires and Ensenada Port Railway. A national auction held in December 1889 established a minimum price of $34 million; ultimately on 29 April 1890, Ferrocarril del Oeste was sold to H.G. Anderson for £8.13 million (about four million gold pesos).
The provincial governor asserted that sale proceeds would finance infrastructure projects such as drainage systems and road construction; however, historian Raúl Scalabrini Ortiz highlighted that these funds were never allocated accordingly. Other scholars attribute the sale primarily to fiscal mismanagement and financial pressures.
Once under British control, the railway extended operations within Buenos Aires and La Pampa provinces and pushed southward beyond Mendoza. In 1896, a branch line was constructed near the Basilica of Our Lady of Luján catering specifically to pilgrims; at its peak service frequency reached twenty-five trips daily.
To meet increasing suburban demand around Buenos Aires, the Buenos Aires Western Railway proposed electrifying the Once de Septiembre–Moreno line along with the Villa Luro–Versalles branch. Although approved in 1912, World War I delayed implementation. A provisional electrified service launched in 1922 between Villa Luro and Versalles; by May 1924 electric trains had reached Moreno.
The Once–Haedo route became Argentina's second electrified railway following Retiro–Tigre (1916). Electrification employed an 800-volt third rail system with elevated platforms designed for new rolling stock sourced from British manufacturers Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company, Leeds Forge Company, and Metropolitan Cammell.
Despite prosperity during the 1920s boom years, both World War II and the Great Depression imposed severe challenges on British and French railway operators in Argentina. Between November 1947 and March 1948, Argentine authorities nationalized these enterprises. President Juan Domingo Perón formalized this acquisition in 1948 amid a nationwide railway nationalization campaign integrating them into Ferrocarriles Argentinos as part of the Domingo Sarmiento Railway network.
Anecdotes
- On one occasion, a "cuarteador" dared to compete against a steam locomotive in a tug-of-war using his finest horse. At first, it appeared the horse had the upper hand, but the mechanics had secretly reversed the engine’s motion as a joke before swiftly accelerating forward and snapping the rope.
- ...there were plenty of intriguing incidents, including a boy who wagered by lying down on the tracks as a train passed over him, and chief Yanquetruz who, upon boarding the train, searched for the coal-consuming, fire-breathing horse hidden inside...
(Pastor Servando Obligado in Tradiciones de Buenos Aires) - ...During nighttime, a family carriage barely escaped a crash with the 9:25 pm train departing Park station by quickly mounting the sidewalk. The driver urged his horses onward with whip strikes as the train grazed the carriage wheels. To avoid such dangers, it was suggested that guardrails be installed to halt vehicles at least five minutes before trains cross.
(La Nación, 16 August 1882) - Steam locomotives required uncontaminated water to operate efficiently. In 1856, inspired by Eduardo Madero’s recommendation, the Western Railway extended a water pipeline from Recoleta to Park Station. This private effort marked Buenos Aires' first supply of clean water beyond rain collection or delivery by carriers.
Bibliography
- Casella de Calderón, Elisa. Plaza General Lavalle. Revista Buenos Aires nos cuenta #19, First Edition, 1991.
- Boragno, Susana H. "Los 150 años del primer ferrocarril argentino." Historias de la Ciudad: Una Revista de Buenos Aires, Lulemar, 2007.
- Cutolo, Vicente. Buenos Aires: Historia de los barrios de Buenos Aires. Elche, 1994.
- Crónica Histórica Argentina, Volumes IV and V, Ed. Codex, 1968.
- "Nuestra primer locomotora: La Porteña y el Ferrocarril Oeste," Ferro Aficionados Argentinos website (Archive), 27 Oct 2009.