Metropolitano
| Company type | Private consortium |
|---|---|
| Industry | Railway transport |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Defunct | 2007 |
| Headquarters | Argentina |
Area served | Buenos Aires Province |
| Products | Commuter rail services |
Metropolitano S.A. was a private consortium created in 1994 to manage commuter rail operations in Buenos Aires Province, following the Argentine government's concession process during the railway privatisation initiated under President Carlos Menem. It was responsible for operating the San Martín, Roca, and Belgrano Sur lines until 2007.
History
The San Martín, Roca, and Belgrano Sur lines were originally operated by the state-owned Ferrocarriles Argentinos after the 1948 nationalisation, and later managed by FEMESA during the period leading up to privatisation.
Metropolitano conducted its services through subsidiaries collectively known as "Transportes Metropolitanos":
| Subsidiary | Line operated | Operation period |
|---|---|---|
| TMS | San Martín | 1/4/1994 – 7/1/2005 |
| TMR | Roca | 1/1/1995 – 22/5/2007 |
| TMB | Belgrano Sur | 1/5/1994 – 22/5/2007 |
Although the company received considerable government financial support, service standards declined markedly, resulting in frequent passenger grievances and numerous governmental sanctions.
In 2004, the concession for the San Martín line was terminated by National Decree N° 798. After a significant demonstration at Constitución station in May 2007, contracts for all three lines were cancelled through Decrees 591 and 592.
Following these revocations, control of operations was handed over to UGOFE, a consortium formed by private firms Ferrovías, Metrovías, and Trenes de Buenos Aires.
External links
- Official site (Archive)
- Pasajeros del Roca, a blog documenting ongoing developments related to the Roca Line