Comodoro Rivadavia Railway

Comodoro Rivadavia and Colonia Sarmiento Railway
Company type	State-owned enterprise
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	1908-09-11
Headquarters	Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina
Products	Passenger and freight rail transport

The Comodoro Rivadavia and Colonia Sarmiento Railway () was an Argentine rail enterprise that constructed and managed a broad gauge track linking the port city of Comodoro Rivadavia with Colonia Sarmiento in Chubut Province. As part of the Argentine State Railway, the FCCRCS also connected with the Central Chubut Railway.

Known locally as "Autovía," this railway line operated in vital oil-producing zones where companies such as Astra and YPF extracted petroleum first discovered in Comodoro Rivadavia in 1907.

Initially, steam locomotives were employed for both passenger and freight services, later replaced by railcars colloquially called "chanchitas" due to their modest comfort. The FCCRCS's historical significance is commemorated as cultural heritage in Comodoro Rivadavia and Sarmiento, with displays at the Railway & Port Museum, National Petroleum Museum, and the Regional Museum Desiderio Torres.

Background

Established in 1897 by national decree at the request of Welsh settlers, Colonia Sarmiento aimed to promote livestock farming within the fertile valley situated between Lakes Musters and Colhue Huapi. Initially, transportation of goods depended on expensive and hazardous carriage routes leading to the distant port of Camarones. To provide a closer maritime outlet, Comodoro Rivadavia was founded in 1901.

A pivotal moment occurred on December 13, 1907, when efforts to locate potable water resulted in the discovery of petroleum, redirecting regional development efforts and elevating Comodoro Rivadavia to prominence as the principal city in the area.

Construction

The FCCRCS was created under Law N° 5559 on September 11, 1908, tasked with constructing a railway initially planned as a straight 150-kilometer stretch connecting Comodoro Rivadavia and Colonia Sarmiento, later extended to approximately 200 kilometers. By March 29, 1912, the line had reached Cañadón Lagarto and commenced operations. The railway ultimately linked to Colonia Sarmiento on May 25, 1914.

Following this, a branch line was constructed to serve Astra, an oil company located north of Comodoro Rivadavia. Expansion efforts faced limitations due to opposition from British settlers intent on preserving Patagonia for sheep farming and resistance from La Argentina Southern Land Company after discovering unsuitable soil conditions. Additional constraints included economic challenges from World War I, political focus on Argentina’s Pampa region, and the death of President Roque Sáenz Peña in 1914.

Expansion

At first, FCCRCS trains ran using unrefined crude oil, resulting in some of the highest operational costs among railways. The line transported timber, livestock, and crude oil; local firms Astra and Diadema shipped petroleum to the port located at kilometer 3.

Comodoro Rivadavia hosted an oil refinery capable of processing per day, providing fuel for all railway lines operating within Chubut Province.

During the 1920s, a branch line servicing Astra’s refinery was completed with funding from the company to facilitate transport of passengers, freight, crude oil, and bricks. In August 1923, the Antonio Morán port was constructed along with its dedicated railway line transporting soil and rubber from a quarry at Punta Piedras; this route was later renamed Rada Tilly. After construction ceased, this port functioned as the terminus until its closure in the 1970s.

In 1924, FCCRCS carried materials used for building the San Jorge lighthouse, moving supplies from Colonia Sarmiento to Astra station. Contributors included YPF (AR$25,000), Astra (providing bricks and lime), and Compañía Forrairrilera de Petróleo (offering trucks).

A proposal introduced in 1927 by deputy Guillermo Fonrouge sought to extend the rail connection between Holdich and Las Heras stations in Santa Cruz Province to link up with the Patagonian Railway; however, this plan was never executed.

Nationalisation

After Juan Perón's 1948 move to nationalise Argentina's railways, the FCCRCS was incorporated into Ferrocarriles Patagónicos and subsequently merged into the Railway system by 1957.

Prior to nationalisation, the railway carried 434,052 passengers and transported 45,969 tons of freight. Following 1949, both passenger numbers and freight volumes decreased due to increased competition from road transport. Despite this decline, the Argentine government made significant investments in FCCRCS, purchasing new railcars—including a refrigerated carriage—adding 13 livestock wagons, renovating stations, and constructing housing for employees. By 1949, the network had extended over 430,828 kilometers.

The introduction of new railcars in mid-1949 led to their operational deployment by 1950; by 1973, all passenger services were run exclusively with railcars. Enhanced service quality made destinations such as Sarmiento favored spots for leisure travel and honeymooners.

Decline and closure

A tragic accident in 1953 on the narrow-gauge railway between Comodoro Rivadavia and Rada Tilly resulted in 36 deaths. This incident prompted the Argentine government under President Arturo Frondizi to implement austerity measures in 1958, which included permanently shutting down the Rada Tilly branch as well as the Central Chubut Railway. Safety concerns following the 1953 disaster heavily influenced this decision, leading to track removal.

Another serious collision took place on August 12, 1960, when a Ganz Works railcar lost its brakes and crashed into a Drewry railcar near El Sindicato. The accident caused injuries to approximately 100 passengers and several fatalities, further damaging the railway’s public image.

By 1969, ownership of the railway land was transferred to Comodoro Rivadavia’s municipal authorities. Tracks running through downtown were dismantled and replaced with a stop near the port area. Throughout the 1970s, FCCRCS underwent restructuring due to financial difficulties, aging equipment, and urban expansion. The Comodoro station was closed in 1971 to alleviate city traffic congestion; it later received heritage designation.

Following cessation of passenger operations in 1977, Sarmiento station was converted into the Regional Museum "Desiderio Torres." At that time, the railway still relied on outdated steam locomotives alongside a limited number of operational railcars—a reflection of persistent underfunding. Employees often resorted to sourcing or fabricating spare parts from workshops located in Greater Buenos Aires to keep services running.

Despite these efforts, ridership fell drastically to only five or six passengers per trip with minimal freight activity. Passenger transport ended in 1977 and the entire line was closed by 1978. The de facto regime led by Jorge Videla ordered that remaining rolling stock be scrapped or destroyed, marking the definitive end of this once crucial regional railway.

Post-closure

In 1979, the railway station was designated as a National heritage site. Subsequently, the Port & Railway Museum ("Museo Ferroportuario") was established on-site, encompassing adjacent structures and artifacts such as a locomotive, wagon, tower, water tank, warehouses (now serving as a cultural centre), workshops (currently functioning as a school), along with the port facilities and Scalabrini Ortiz and San Martín parks—the latter inaugurated in 2012.

In 1991, Comodoro Municipality acquired lands formerly operated by Astra. When Chubut Province issued decree N° 2642 to renovate certain railway branches, FCCRCS was notably excluded. By December 1992, coastal erosion had damaged the branch leading to Muelle YPF.

That same year, local residents proposed establishing a heritage railway connecting Sarmiento with the Petrified Forest located about 38 km south. Although revived during the early 2000s, this initiative did not come to fruition.

In 1996, members of Chubut’s congress put forward the Ferrocarril Transpatagónico project aiming to link San Antonio Oeste (Río Negro) with Río Gallegos (Santa Cruz), including plans for a bridge between Punta Loyola and La Misión (Tierra del Fuego). The proposal also included reopening lines such as Ferrocarril Puerto Deseado-Colonia Las Heras and Central Chubut Railway.

A congressional proposal in 2006 sought to create both a railway museum and heritage line at Km. 5 of Comodoro Rivadavia featuring routes through Don Bosco and Astra neighborhoods with branches extending toward Caleta Córdoba and San Jorge lighthouse.

In August 1995, local authorities negotiated transferring control of the line to Chubut Province for potential linkage with Chile’s Puerto Chacabuco. A survey revealed that approximately three-quarters of tracks remained largely intact despite removals in Santa Cruz Province.

However, prospects dimmed in 2004 when the Provincial Government requested permission from the Central Government to dismantle tracks—a request approved in 2005. Between 2005 and 2006, Natura Ecology undertook track removal under an agreement to supply 46,000 ties for refurbishing La Trochita heritage railway in El Maitén at a cost of AR$700,000. This agreement lacked legislative endorsement and was subsequently annulled; ties were never delivered.

The dismantling breached national legislation permitting track removal only if reused elsewhere. Natura Ecology was contracted without competitive bidding and faced accusations of theft. Authorities confiscated four rails totaling around 100 tons valued at AR$1 million in Trelew. Rail profiles vanished; reports suggest they were transported to various locations including Chubut itself, Greater Buenos Aires area, Córdoba province, and Buenos Aires city. The case remains unresolved.

In 2013, a proposal emerged for a railway linking to the Pacific Ocean via a new port south of Rada Tilly connecting with Puerto Aysén (Chile), excluding Comodoro Rivadavia’s port due to unfavorable weather conditions which ultimately led to project dismissal.

Other plans aimed at reopening the Puerto Deseado-Tellier segment to connect Puerto Deseado with Chile’s Puerto Chacabuco; a second phase considered extending this connection toward Comodoro Rivadavia.

In March 2014 representatives from China State Construction Engineering Corporation indicated that Chubut Province was prepared for feasibility studies regarding rail links between Comodoro Rivadavia or Puerto Madryn ports and Chile’s Aysén Region.

On May 25, 2014 Colonia Sarmiento hosted an event celebrating FCCRCS’s centennial anniversary.

Preserved Artifacts and Heritage Conservation

A number of railway vehicles and station structures have been safeguarded to avoid decay and vandalism. Among these, several items are displayed at the Petroleum Museum located in Comodoro Rivadavia.

In Rada Tilly, a railcar manufactured by Ganz Works was maintained close to the station building for an extended period. Comodoro Rivadavia features preserved rolling stock exhibited at both the National Petroleum Museum and the Railway & Port Museum. The Sarmiento railway station, after undergoing restoration following damage, now functions as the Regional Museum "Desiderio Torres."

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