Retiro railway station

Retiro
Regional rail

Ferrocarril Mitre station facade.
Location in Buenos Aires
Location Ramos Mejía Avenue, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Owned by Government of Argentina
Line(s) Mitre
Belgrano
San Martin
Platforms 19
Connections Underground
(under construction: )
Construction
Parking No
Other information
Fare zone Buenos Aires
History
Opened August 1, 1915
Electrified FC Mitre

Retiro Station (Estación Retiro in Spanish) is a large railway terminus in the Buenos Aires central business district in Argentina, located in the district of Retiro, opposite Plaza San Martín, a large public square.

One of Argentina's busiest railway stations, Retiro is the terminus for three railway lines; Mitre, Belgrano, and San Martin and is adjacent to the Retiro bus station (Terminal de Omnibus), the principal long-distance bus terminal in Buenos Aires. The complex is accessible by the C line of the Buenos Aires Metro system and by numerous local public bus services. A modern tramway extension that will link Retiro, the Puerto Madero district and Constitución terminal train station is in the planning stages.[1] The station will also be accessible by both Line E and Line H of the metro once their extensions are complete.

History

The French-style station building was designed by the British architects Eustace L. Conder, Roger Conder and Sydney G. Follet together with the engineer Reginald Reynolds. Building began in June 1909 and the station was opened on 1 August 1915. The steel structure for the building was made in Liverpool, England, and re-assembled in Argentina. For many years it was considered to be the most important example of structural engineering in South America and architecturally one of the finest buildings in the world. In 1997 it was declared a National Monument.[2]

In 2015 plans were announced to expand the station with new platforms to accommodate long distance services operated by SOFSE. The new part of the station would be located next to the existing Ferrocarril Mitre complex with new road access from Libertador Avenue, replacing land currently used for storage of rolling stock. The existing buildings are also currently being renovated, including restoration of the train shed.[3]

Services

Belgrano, Mitre and San Martín terminals with Torre Monumental in the foreground.
Mitre Station Great Hall with entrance to Line C in the background.
Mitre Line train with Retiro's glass and iron train shed in the background.

Commuter Rail Services

Retiro is the largest commuter rail station in Buenos Aires and more commuter trains arrive and depart from here than in any other station in the city. As of 2006, the following companies operate regular services to the suburbs of Buenos Aires along three principal lines:

Long-Distance Trains

In addition to its status as the hub of an extensive commuter railway network, Retiro is also the terminus of a few long-distance passenger services which provide access to cities in the north and west of the country. As of 2015, Trenes Argentinos manages long-distance services to the cities of Córdoba, Tucumán and Rosario. Those services had been run by defunct company Ferrocentral.

Historical photos

See also

References

  1. ↑ Rossi, Antonio (2007). "Proyectan Tranvía de Retiro a Constitución". La Nación. Retrieved 2007-07-13. (Spanish)
  2. ↑ Decreto 437/97 (Spanish) Retrieved 2010-12-27
  3. ↑ Nuevo acceso y andenes para larga distancia en Retiro Mitre - EnElSubte, 03 April 2015

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Retiro railway station.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Retiro railway station historical photos.

Coordinates: 34°35′29″S 58°22′29″W / 34.59139°S 58.37472°W