Central Northern Railway
| Company type | State-owned |
|---|---|
| Industry | Railway transport |
| Founded | 1873 |
| Founder | Argentine State Railway |
| Fate | Merged into General Belgrano Railway in 1948 |
| Headquarters | Argentina |
Area served | Northern Argentina |
| Products | Railway services |
The Central Northern Railway (in Spanish, Ferrocarril Central Norte, abbreviated as FCCN) holds the distinction of being the initial metre gauge railway developed by the Argentine State Railway. Its primary objective was to extend the British-owned Central Argentine broad gauge line from Córdoba to San Miguel de Tucumán, opting for metre gauge to reduce construction expenses.
Origins
In 1868, legislation was passed that designated revenue from import-export duties to finance a railway connecting the Provinces of Córdoba and Jujuy. The contract for construction was granted to "Compañía Telfner," which commenced building in 1873. By May 1875, the railway reached Recreo in Catamarca Province, continued to San Antonio, Jujuy by July, and ultimately arrived at San Miguel de Tucumán on 30 October 1876, an event marked by President Nicolás Avellaneda's inauguration.
On 28 December 1876, control of operations transferred to the national government with Rafaél Aranda appointed as General Manager. At that point, the railway stretched 547 km, making it the longest line in South America.
The network grew through branch lines: Frías to Santiago del Estero opened in August 1884; Recreo to Chumbicha followed in February 1886. Between 1885 and 1888, construction advanced northward from Tucumán toward Salta and Jujuy.
On 28 October 1887, ownership of the section between Alta Córdoba and Tucumán along with branches from Frías to Santiago del Estero and Recreo to Chumbicha—totaling 884 km—was transferred to the British-owned Córdoba Central Railway. The FCCN retained only the Tucumán to Juramento stretch (226 km), which it extended to Güemes and completed branch lines reaching Salta and Jujuy by 1891.
Expansion continues
Initially, the Central Northern Railway possessed solely the Tucumán–Juramento segment (226 km). Expansion efforts pushed northwards, reaching Güemes and establishing branches to Salta and Jujuy by January 31, 1891. On January 14, 1896, the State acquired the French-owned Ferrocarril de San Cristóbal a Tucumán, which had been inaugurated four years earlier by "Compañía Francesa de Ferrocarriles," and renamed it "Ferrocarril Central Norte" Sección Sud. The route between Tucumán and Salta and Jujuy was designated "Ferrocarril Central Norte - Sección Norte," incorporating branches such as Colombres–Guzmán and Pacará–Río Salí.
Notable branch inaugurations included Salta–Zuviría on October 8, 1898; Pacará–Finca Elisa in Santiago del Estero Province during 1900; and Finca Elisa–El Bracho in Tucumán Province in August 1901. Construction extended from Embarcación (Salta) reaching Perico (Jujuy), then advancing to Ledesma in 1904 and Yuto in 1909.
The Zubiría–Talapampa segment on the Salta–Alemania line commenced operations on August 18, 1906. The Jujuy–Humahuaca portion of the route toward La Quiaca, bordering Bolivia, opened on September 2, 1906, with extension to La Quiaca completed by May 25, 1908.
The initial section of the Chile-bound route via Socompa, running from Empalme Cerrillos to Rosario de Lerma, was finished on August 27, 1907. Additional branch lines included Empalme Añatuya–Tintina (October 11, 1904), Clodomira–La Banda (March 2, 1906), and Puna–Santa Justina (August 27, 1907) within Santiago del Estero Province. The Santa Fe to San Cristobal stretch opened January 17, 1908; followed by Las Cejas to Antilla on September 16, 1909.
Further expansions encompassed Bracho–Palá Palá (December 6, 1909), later extended to Leales by June 20, 1915; Bandera–Los Juríes service began in 1911; Quilmili–Gancedo opened in 1912; and extensions reached Puerto Vilelas, Tintina, and Campo Gallo by 1914. The Rapelli–Betbeder line started operations on April 15, 1915; Naré–San Javier on June 30, 1915; Empalme Añatuya–Los Linares on September 28, 1916.
Within the Formosa area, the line from Formosa to Kilometer 100 opened September 22, 1910, later extended to Las Lomitas on July 20, 1915. The Yuto to Embarcación segment began service November 28, 1911; a connection between Embarcación and Las Lomitas was established in 1931, creating a continuous rail link throughout Formosa Province connecting Formosa city with Salta and Jujuy. Additional branches included Pichanal to Orán (June 30, 1915) and Empalme Metán to El Tunal (December 21, 1916). The Talapampa–Alemania section opened October 7, 1919.
Final period
On 11 October 1909, control of the state-run Ferrocarril Argentino del Norte railway system was transferred to the CNR. A new branch line connecting Cebollar and Andalgalá commenced service on 27 April 1910, while the segment linking Empalme Sarrezuela to San Juan was inaugurated on 7 August, establishing a route between Córdoba and San Juan. Furthermore, the Dean Funes to Laguna Paiva branch was finalized on 21 December 1912.
In 1931, the La Puerta to Alta Córdoba branch, spanning 120 km, was opened, contributing an additional 112 km of track during that timeframe. Concurrently, the Argentine State Railway launched 1,027 km of rail lines across various provinces such as Chaco, Salta, San Luis, Río Negro, and Mendoza.
Following World War I, Juan Quijano advocated for a 750 mm gauge railway tailored to support northern Argentina’s forestry and agricultural industries. Constructed by the Argentine State for the "Compañía Ganadera y Forestal," the "ramal El Zapallar" line connected at Lapachito on the Resistencia–Jujuy route. For this 75 km stretch, the company procured locomotives from Henschel & Son. This line was nationalized in 1944. In 1938, due to financial troubles, the Córdoba Central Railway was integrated into the FCCN system.
With the nationalization of Argentina’s railways in 1948 under President Juan Peron, the CNR became part of the state-owned General Belgrano Railway.