General Roca Railway

General Roca Railway

Company type	State-owned enterprise (historical)
Industry	Rail transport
Predecessor	Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway, Rosario and Puerto Belgrano Railway, Central Chubut Railway, Ferrocarriles Patagónicos
Founded	1948
Founder	Government of Argentina
Defunct	1991 (privatization reforms began)
Headquarters	Buenos Aires , Argentina
Area served	Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Neuquén, Río Negro, Chubut, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe
Products	Passenger and freight rail services
Owner	Government of Argentina (until 1991)

General Roca Railway

The General Roca Railway (FCGR) (Ferrocarril General Roca) is an Argentina-based broad gauge rail network extending from Buenos Aires' Constitución station southward, traversing the provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Neuquén, and Río Negro. This railway was established following the 1948 nationalisation of Argentina's railways under President Juan Perón. It became one of six state-owned rail divisions, each named in honor of a former president, with this one commemorating Julio Argentino Roca. These entities operated under the management of Ferrocarriles Argentinos until the privatisation reforms initiated in 1991 during President Carlos Menem's administration.

Currently, passenger transportation on the Roca Railway is provided by state enterprises: Trenes Argentinos handles commuter services in Buenos Aires, while Ferrobaires runs long-distance passenger trains. Freight services are conducted by private companies such as Ferrosur Roca and Ferroexpreso Pampeano.

Background

The earliest railway line in southern Buenos Aires was constructed by the British-owned Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway (BAGSR). Its first segment, connecting Constitución railway station to Jeppener, opened in 1865 and was progressively extended to reach Zapala in Río Negro Province as well as Carmen de Patagones in Buenos Aires.

By the time of its nationalisation in 1948, BAGSR ranked among the largest railway companies, operating 8,149 kilometers of track. Earlier, in 1898, it had absorbed the Buenos Aires and Ensenada Port Railway, which had been running lines within Buenos Aires Province since 1872.

During the early decades of the 20th century, Argentina’s government founded the Argentine State Railway, aiming to expand railway infrastructure nationwide. To encourage settlement and stimulate economic development in Patagonia, this agency established rail lines through its subsidiary, Ferrocarriles Patagónicos. Among these was the Puerto Deseado Railway, inaugurated in 1911 to facilitate wool trade activities.

Other significant state-constructed lines included the Patagonian Express, popularly known as La Trochita, which commenced operations in 1935.

Additionally, BAGSR incorporated the segment of the Bahía Blanca and North Western Railway that extended to Darragueira and Toay within La Pampa Province.

Nationalisation

Following President Perón’s 1948 nationalisation policy, the General Roca Railway was formed as one of six broad gauge (5 ft 6 in) divisions under state ownership. It was named after former president Julio Argentino Roca. These divisions fell under the control of Ferrocarriles Argentinos until their eventual dissolution during President Carlos Menem’s railway privatisation program starting in 1991.

The FCGR consolidated several railways: the British-owned BAGSR; the southern segment of the French-operated Rosario and Puerto Belgrano Railway; the nationalised Central Chubut Railway; and the state-run lines managed by Ferrocarriles Patagónicos.

The broad gauge companies merged into Ferrocarril Roca following the 1948 nationalisation included:

Template:Center
Previous company	Origin	Year opened	Provinces covered
BA Great Southern (1)	British	1862	Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Río Negro, Neuquén
Patagonian	Argentine	1911	Río Negro, Neuquén, Chubut, Santa Cruz
Rosario & Pto. Belgrano (2)	French	1912	Santa Fe, Buenos Aires

Notes:

• ⁽¹⁾ BAGSR had previously acquired both the Bahía Blanca and North Western Railway and the Buenos Aires and Ensenada Port Railway before becoming state property.
• ⁽²⁾ Only the southern portion from Ingeniero Beaugey to Puerto Belgrano was incorporated.

Services along the Atlantic coast

Within General Madariaga Partido, encompassing Villa Gesell and Pinamar, the Roca Railway managed a freight spur dedicated to transporting firewood to dunes near Pinamar. Following nationalisation, this line was extended by 470 meters into Pinamar itself, where a modest station was inaugurated in August 1949, serviced by railcars originating from General Madariaga.

On May 3, 1949, the southern station in Mar del Plata was shut down due to heavy traffic congestion and numerous level crossings causing operational delays. Passenger services were redirected to the northern station, and the former southern station building was repurposed as a bus terminal.

During the 1950s, the Government acquired twelve stainless steel passenger coaches from the American Budd Company. These units were initially constructed for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway but were sold after C&O withdrew due to competition from air travel. The coaches boasted amenities such as air conditioning, double-glazed windows, comfortable armchairs, onboard bars, and dining facilities. The original design also included a powerful Baldwin locomotive.

By 1951, Ferrocarriles Argentinos had purchased 46 Budd coaches modified from standard gauge to Indian gauge for use on the Roca Railway. After successful testing, express services to Mar del Plata commenced with a journey time of approximately five hours. These coaches featured conveniences including seat-mounted speakers, individual lighting and tables, carpeted flooring, venetian blinds, pneumatic doors, and reclining seats. Initially hauled by Caprotti steam locomotives, these were subsequently replaced by diesel engines.

In 1952, diesel locomotives produced domestically by Fábrica Argentina de Locomotoras (FADEL) and named Justicialista began operating on the Constitución-Mar del Plata route. This innovation reduced travel time for the Marplatense express to 3 hours and 45 minutes. These locomotives also served extended routes to Bariloche (22 hours 10 minutes) and Mendoza (11 hours 40 minutes), maintaining average speeds of 145 km/h until the mid-1960s.

Beyond Mar del Plata, Roca Railway provided connections to other Atlantic coastal holiday destinations such as Necochea, which saw ten daily summer services via Chas and Tandil. Services to Bahía Blanca utilized Ganz Works railcars previously deployed on the San Antonio–Nahuel Huapi route near Bariloche. The inaugural train from Constitución to Bahía Blanca commenced in 1949, covering a distance of 640 kilometers in six hours at an average speed of 105 km/h. In 1950, Ganz railcars were introduced on the Constitución-Necochea line.

Line closures

Following World War II, Roca Railway experienced decline driven by insufficient investment and rising competition from roadways and aviation. Although Argentina’s railway network spanned 44,000 km in 1959, numerous lines were shut down in efforts to reduce fiscal deficits.

Within Buenos Aires Province, several lines were closed with some dismantled entirely. These included the Rosario and Puerto Belgrano Railway as well as branches such as Nueva Roma–Villa Iris, Chas–Ayacucho, Azul–Empalme Cerro (Tandil), Arroyo de los Huesos–Chillar, Empalme La Barrancosa–San Enrique, and Alfredo Fortabat–Deferrari–Dorrego. Other branches like Empalme Piedra Echada–Toay and Rufino de Elizalde–Las Pipinas ceased operations but retained their tracks. The Bahía Blanca Noroeste station closed in 1962 with services consolidated at Bahía Blanca Sud.

In 1964, FA announced plans to close Necochea station; despite opposition from local communities, the final train departed in 1968 due to safety issues concerning the Quequén River bridge. Subsequently, Quequén became the terminus with a minimal stop established in 1973 to serve Necochea passengers. Services to Pinamar were discontinued in 1977 because of low profitability; tracks were removed starting from General Madariaga.

The decline of industrial activity also led to freight line closures such as Pereyra-Punta Lara-Ensenada in 1978 and La Plata-Magdalena-Atalaya in 1979, which negatively affected regional trade. By 1980, Roca Railway managed 6,827 km of track while government proposals suggested shutting down an additional 5,264 km. That same year flooding destroyed the Quequén-Necochea port bridge, terminating service at the provisional Necochea stop.

Railways of Patagonia

After being nationalized, Ferrocarriles Patagónicos was incorporated into the Roca Railway network between 1949 and 1956.

Initial plans aimed to introduce diesel locomotives and build a rail connection from Puerto Madryn to Sierra Grande, with intentions to extend it further to San Antonio Oeste. Nevertheless, the late 1950s saw a decline in freight traffic due to increased competition from road transport. The Puerto Madryn line was discontinued in 1961, with its station repurposed as a bus terminal. Efforts to restart operations in 1964 were thwarted when a fire destroyed 15 coaches, and by 1974 the tracks had been dismantled. Similarly, the Comodoro Rivadavia Railway ceased operations in 1958, followed by track removal.

A transpatagonian railway project announced in 1957, designed to link San Antonio Oeste, Puerto Madryn, Comodoro Rivadavia, and Puerto Deseado, was ultimately abandoned. Both the Puerto Deseado and Comodoro Rivadavia lines were closed by 1979, with their tracks remaining until removed during the 1990s.

The only line that endured was La Trochita, which has been maintained as a tourist attraction since the 1970s. Although it was shut down during President Carlos Menem’s administration in 1992, public demand ensured its subsequent reopening.

Privatization

By the early 1990s, most state-owned enterprises in Argentina were operating at a loss, with the railway system incurring an annual deficit of approximately US$ 355 million. President Carlos Menem’s policy—summed up as "Ramal que para, ramal que cierra" (lines that stop are closed)—came into effect in 1990 when multiple railway lines were shut down, leading to isolation for many communities dependent on rail services.

Passenger ridership dropped drastically from 539 million in 1960 to just 264 million by 1990. In the final year before privatization, there were around 239,000 delayed or cancelled services.

During the privatization process, freight operations were handed over to Ferrosur Roca and Ferroexpreso Pampeano, while commuter rail services were granted to Metropolitano.

Trenes Argentinos

In 2011, the new Mar del Plata railway and bus station was officially opened, designed to handle up to eleven daily train departures. The construction cost totaled $117.4 million.

The launch included six train sets supplied by Spanish manufacturer Talgo, each consisting of one diesel locomotive and nine air-conditioned coaches outfitted with televisions and seating for 214 passengers. The journey was projected to take approximately five and a half hours.

However, by 2012 these Talgo trains were withdrawn due to high maintenance expenses and operational costs. The government terminated the contract after only two of the six trains remained functional.

In 2014, new Chinese-built trains from China CNR Corporation were purchased for premium service routes to Mar del Plata. The first CNR CKD8 model arrived in November of that year. These trains accommodate 565 passengers across twelve coaches featuring first class, pullman, and dining cars.

COMPANY

Since 1948, various operators have managed services on General Roca Railway infrastructure:

Company	Service Type	Operating Period
Ferrocarriles Argentinos	Passenger	1948–1993
Ferrobaires	Passenger	1993–2018
Trenes Argentinos	Passenger	2014–present
Ferroexpreso Pampeano	Freight	1991–present
Ferrosur Roca	Freight	1993–present
Servicios Ferroviarios Patagónico	Freight/Passenger	1993–present

Notes

Suburban branch

The Roca Line in Buenos Aires extends from Estación Constitución heading southward to Alejandro Korn, Cañuelas, and La Plata, as well as westward to Haedo. It boasts the largest passenger volume within the Buenos Aires commuter rail system. Efforts are underway to electrify the remaining diesel-powered sections, including the route between Buenos Aires and La Plata. Since June 2015, new trains supplied by CSR Corporation Limited have been gradually introduced, improving both service efficiency and passenger capacity.