Trenes Argentinos Cargas
| Company type | Government-owned enterprise |
|---|---|
| Industry | Freight railway transport |
| Predecessor | Belgrano Cargas S.A. |
| Founded | May 2013 |
| Fate | Undergoing privatization process since 2024 |
| Headquarters | Buenos Aires , Argentina |
Area served | Central and northern Argentina; international connections to Bolivia, Uruguay, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay |
Key people | Sergio Basich (President) |
| Products | Freight rail transport services |
| Owner | Argentine government |
Number of employees | 3740 (2013) |
| Parent | Ferrocarriles Argentinos S.E. |
Belgrano Cargas y Logística S.A., operating under the brand name Trenes Argentinos Cargas (TACyL), is an Argentine government-owned enterprise managing a freight railway system that encompasses the Belgrano, Urquiza, and San Martín lines. It functions as a subsidiary of Ferrocarriles Argentinos S.E..
Although commonly referred to by both the government and media as Belgrano Cargas, the railway system managed by the company extends beyond just the General Belgrano Railway. Its rolling stock comprises 86 diesel locomotives alongside 4,720 freight wagons, facilitating cargo transport mainly throughout central and northern regions of Argentina. In 2014, the company transported in excess of 3.1 million tonnes of goods. The headquarters is situated in Buenos Aires, employing around 3,740 personnel as of 2013. Sergio Basich serves as its president.
Overview
The rail network covers numerous provinces including Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Córdoba, Mendoza, Santiago del Estero, San Juan, La Rioja, Catamarca, Tucumán, Chaco, Formosa, Salta, and Jujuy. Additionally, it provides international connections to neighboring countries such as Bolivia, Uruguay, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay.
TACyL operates a fleet of 122 locomotives and 7,392 freight wagons, supported by a workforce of 3,140 employees whose positions are safeguarded by the National government. Freight volumes have increased substantially from nearly one million tonnes in 2007 under its predecessor entity, Belgrano Cargas, to over three million tonnes by 2014 following re-nationalization.
History
In 2008, the Argentine Government revoked the concession previously granted to Belgrano Cargas S.A. for operating the Belgrano Railway's freight network spanning 7,347 km. Subsequently, in May 2013, Belgrano Cargas y Logística was created through a National decree to take over control of freight services on the Belgrano line. By June that year, it had also assumed responsibility for freight operations on the Urquiza (2,704 km) and San Martín (5,254 km) railways.
During the same period, the government terminated its contract with América Latina Logística (ALL), taking over services formerly managed by ALL on both Urquiza and San Martín lines due to breaches identified by the General Auditing Office.
Following nationalization, the government invested in expanding the rolling stock through domestic manufacturing and international procurement. This included acquiring 1,000 freight wagons from state-run Fabricaciones Militares and placing orders for 100 locomotives plus 3,500 wagons from China. Infrastructure improvements were also supported by purchasing 30,000 rails for track refurbishment.
In September 2015, Argentina received its initial shipment of 100 diesel locomotives produced by Chinese firm CRRC Corporation—the first locomotives dedicated solely to freight services in the country. Later that month, an announcement from the Ministry of the Interior and Transport together with China Machinery Engineering Corporation revealed plans to double Chinese investment in Argentina’s freight rail system from US$2.4 billion to US$4.8 billion to finance additional equipment acquisitions and infrastructure enhancements.
By August 2016, CRRC had delivered the first unit out of a batch of 20 new locomotives specially engineered for Belgrano Cargas, marking a key milestone in modernizing Argentina’s freight railway capabilities.
Privatization
In 2024, after the approval of the Law of Bases and Starting Points for the Freedom of Argentines, the company commenced its privatization process. The national government initiated this effort in October, branding it as Open Access and implementing a framework similar to that utilized for the highway system. This strategy permits private entities to oversee the railroad infrastructure while allowing train services to be offered through competitive tendering.
Federico Sturzenegger, leader of the Ministry of Deregulation and State Transformation, explained that the objective of this model is to draw a variety of domestic and international operators to run their own trains or launch new rail transport firms. The elimination of state monopoly and control in favor of open competition is intended to encourage the emergence of new transport businesses.