Trenes Argentinos Operaciones

Operadora Ferroviaria Sociedad del Estado

Company type	State-owned enterprise
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	2008
Founder	Argentine Government
Headquarters	Buenos Aires , Argentina
Area served	Argentina
Products	Passenger rail transport
Owner	Argentine Government
Parent	Ferrocarriles Argentinos S.E.

Operadora Ferroviaria Sociedad del Estado (SOFSE), operating under the brand name Trenes Argentinos Operaciones, is a government-owned Argentine company created in 2008 to oversee passenger rail transport across the country. It operates as a subsidiary of Ferrocarriles Argentinos S.E. and is fully owned by the Argentine Government.

Starting in March 2015, SOFSE took charge of commuter rail operations in Buenos Aires on the Mitre, San Martín, Roca, and Belgrano Sur routes, assuming responsibilities previously held by private operators. The organization prioritizes public railway transportation and infrastructure upkeep, playing a key role in supporting Argentina’s national rail network and metropolitan transit systems.

Origins

Following the onset of railway privatisation in Argentina in 1989, the remaining railway properties were overseen by Ferrocarriles Argentinos until its dissolution. Between 1996 and 2000, these assets were managed by the "Ente Nacional de Administración de Bienes Ferroviarios" (ENABIEF), which was integrated into the Dirección Nacional de Bienes del Estado on June 1, 2000. Subsequently, the "Organismo Nacional de Administración de Bienes" (ONABE) was created to administer assets not directly linked to State operations.

The enactment of Law 26.352 in 2008 reformed Argentina’s railway system by establishing two state entities: "Administración de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias" (ADIF) responsible for infrastructure, and the operator "Operadora Ferroviaria" (SOFSE). SOFSE’s operational framework was set forth by Decree N° 752/08 upon its formation.

Expansion of services

Although established in 2008, SOFSE commenced active operations in 2010 by taking over rail services in Chaco Province from Servicios Ferroviarios del Chaco (SEFECHA). By 2011, its reach extended to regional rail lines within Salta Province and Buenos Aires Province. Following the creation of the Ministry of Transport in 2012, SOFSE assumed control over all non-concessioned urban rail services within Greater Buenos Aires, as well as intercity routes connecting to destinations such as Córdoba and Tucumán, including lines previously managed by Entre Ríos Province.

In June 2013, SOFSE took over operations of the Tren de la Costa after the government terminated its contract with Sociedad Comercial del Plata. Later that year, in September, it was granted management of the Mitre and Sarmiento lines following the revocation of concessions from Trenes de Buenos Aires, formalized through Resolution N° 1083/13.

SOFSE administered the Mitre line on an interim basis until February 2014, when it was re-privatized with a concession awarded to "Corredores Ferroviarios S.A." belonging to the Emepa Group.

In December 2014, newly procured trains from Chinese manufacturer CNR Dalian began operating premium services between Constitución and Mar del Plata, supplementing existing routes run by Ferrobaires.

Passenger service from Buenos Aires to Rufino, Santa Fe was reinstated in February 2015 after a hiatus of 22 years, utilizing modern Chinese rolling stock on the San Martín line with stops at locations such as Chacabuco and Junín.

March 2015 marked the introduction of CNR CKD8 train services running from Retiro to Córdoba. Despite employing advanced trainsets, deteriorated track conditions resulted in a journey duration of approximately nineteen and a half hours for nearly 700 kilometers—more than twice the travel time recorded back in 1938.

Renationalization of Commuter Rail

Following the Argentine Government's decision on March 2, 2015, SOFSE took over operations of the Belgrano Sur and Roca lines, which had been under Argentren management, as well as the Mitre and San Martín lines, previously run by Corredores Ferroviarios. The government terminated contracts with both companies, which had been established in February 2014, permitting cancellation without any compensation.

Recent Developments

In January 2016, services to La Pampa Province were halted by the Ministry of Transport due to insufficient passenger numbers on the Santa Rosa–General Pico route and damage to bridges caused by floods in August 2015.

By June 2016, the Buenos Aires–Rosario route was extended from its former endpoint at Rosario Sur to Rosario Norte Station, situated closer to Rosario’s city center.

In March 2023, after a three-decade break dating back to the era of Carlos Menem, Trenes Argentinos resumed passenger rail service to Mendoza Province. Since the original Mendoza railway station had been converted into a tram stop for the Metrotranvía Mendoza, Palmira station—located approximately 5 km from Mendoza city—became the new terminus. Initial trial runs were criticized for lengthy travel times of 27 hours, significantly longer than the 13-hour journeys recorded in the 1960s. After delays exceeding two months, service was extended in June 2023 from Justo Daract (in San Luis Province) to Palmira.

In subsequent years, Trenes Argentinos discontinued several routes due to escalating maintenance expenses, declining ridership, and infrastructure challenges. Among these closures were the tourist-oriented Mercedes–Tomas Jofré line, which ceased operations in 2024 after a truck accident destroyed a bridge just one year following its reopening. Other affected lines included Retiro–Justo Daract, Retiro–Palmira, Bragado–Pehuajó (closed in 2024), and General Guido–Pinamar (ceased in April 2025).

Operated Services

Operadora Ferroviaria oversees multiple urban rail networks across Argentina, managing lines such as Mitre, San Martín, Roca, and Belgrano Sur that were formerly operated by private entities.

Metropolitan Services

Within Buenos Aires Province, commuter rail offerings include:

Terminus cities	Service type	Dist.	Line
Once – Moreno	Electric	45	Sarmiento
Moreno – Mercedes	Diesel	62	Sarmiento
Merlo – Lobos	Diesel	90	Sarmiento
Constitución – Ezeiza	Electric	35	Roca
Ezeiza – Cañuelas	Diesel	35	Roca
Constitución – Alejandro Korn	Electric	45	Roca
Alejandro Korn – Chascomús	Diesel	93	Roca
Constitución – La Plata	Electric	60	Roca
La Plata – Policlínico (University train of La Plata)	Diesel	4	Roca
Constitución – Temperley	Electric	19	Roca
Temperley – Haedo	Diesel	30	Roca
Constitución – Bosques (via Quilmes, Buenos Aires)	Electric	19	Roca
Constitución – Bosques (via Temperley, Argentina)	Electric	19	Roca
Bosques – Gutiérrez	Diesel	7	Roca
Cañuelas – Lobos	Diesel	37	Roca

Notes

Long distance

Argentina is served by inter-city train routes that span various regions.

Province/s covered	Terminus	Frec.	Dist.	Company/Line
Buenos Aires	Constitución – Mar del Plata	2 pd	400	Roca
	Once – Bragado	1 pw	304	Sarmiento
	Retiro (SM) – Junín	1 pd	254	San Martín
Buenos Aires – Santa Fe – Córdoba	Retiro (M) – Córdoba (M)	2 tpw	695	Mitre
Buenos Aires – Santa Fe	Retiro (M) – Rosario Norte	1 pd	315	Mitre
Buenos Aires – Santa Fe – Santiago del Estero – Tucumán	Retiro (M) – S.M. de Tucumán	2 pw	1,170	Mitre

Notes

Regional

Province/s covered	Terminus	Frec.	Dist.	Company/Line
Chaco	R.S. Peña – Chorotis	7 pw	Template:Center	Belgrano
	Resistencia – Los Amores	4 pw	Template:Center	Belgrano
Córdoba	Córdoba / Alta Córdoba – Valle Hermoso (Tren de las Sierras)	6 pd	Template:Center	Belgrano
	Córdoba – Villa María	3 pw	Template:Center	Mitre
Entre Ríos	Paraná – Jorge Méndez	4 pd	Template:Center	Urquiza
Neuquén – Río Negro	Cipolletti – Plottier (Tren del Valle)	10 pd	Template:Center	Roca
Salta	Gral. Güemes – Campo Quijano	4 pw	Template:Center	Belgrano

International

Covered Regions	Endpoint	Frec.	Dist.	Operating Company/Line
Template:Country data ARGTemplate:Namespace detect showall Misiones – Template:PAR	Posadas – Encarnación	2 pd	Template:Center	Urquiza

Maps of services operated

Data current as of October 2024