Roca Line


Roca Line

Overview
Service type Commuter rail
Status Active
Locale Buenos Aires Province
Predecessor Great Southern Railway
First service 1948
Current operator(s) SOFSE
Former operator(s) Argentren
Ridership 10,9 million [1]
Website Official web
Route
Start Constitución
Stops 70
End Ezeiza [lower-alpha 1] / Cañuelas [lower-alpha 2]
A. Korn [lower-alpha 1]
La Plata [lower-alpha 2]
Haedo [lower-alpha 2] [lower-alpha 3]
Technical
Track gauge 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Track owner(s) Government of Argentina
This article is about the commuter rail line. For the national railway company, see General Roca Railway.
A train powered by an EMD GT22CW-2 locomotive near of City Bell.
University train of La Plata.

The Roca line is a 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) gauge commuter rail service in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, currently operated by State-owned company SOFSE. The line operates from the city-centre terminus of Constitución south to Alejandro Korn, Cañuelas, and La Plata, and west to Haedo along broad gauge lines built by the British-owned Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway. The intermediate stations connecting the different branch lines are Avellaneda, Bosques and Temperley.

The line consists of 198 kilometers of track (55 of which are electrified), 70 stations, 146 grade crossings, 907 daily services through its different branches, and carries half a million passengers daily.

History

This line had previously been run by the state-owned company Ferrocarriles Argentinos since nationalisation of the Argentine railways in 1948. Branches from Constitución to Ezeiza and Glew were electrified and the entire fleet of trains renewed, acquiring multiple units by Japanese companies Nippon Sharyo, Kinki Sharyo, Tokyu Car, Kawasaki and Hitachi. The electrified rail system was opened to public in November, 1985.[2]

FA operated the trains until 1991 when residual company FEMESA temporarily took over all the urban services prior to be privatized. After the Government of Carlos Menem privatized the urban railways services private company Metropolitano (TMR) took over Roca Line.

Nevertheless, non-compliance with the terms and conditions (such as lack of investment and poor maintenance of the line in spite of the large government subsidies received) by Metropolitano made the Government of Argentina revoke the contract of concession in 2007.[3] The UGOFE took over the service until February 12, 2014, when it was announced that the line would be granted to the local group EMEPA.[4][5] [6]

After the concession was revoked, a temporary consortium named "UGOFE", took over the Roca line.[7]

Several projects were announced to modernize the line and improve its service, setting as a priority the electrification of the whole system. Other projects included a new maintenance yard in the town of Tolosa in La Plata Partido, several new bridges and tunnels at road crossings and improved grade crossings, all new concrete sleepers and welded rail joints for the entire line, the remodeling of 50 stations and the purchase of 200 electric coaches of the latest technology.[8] Presently electrification of Avellaneda-Quilmes and Temperley-Bosques sections are under way.

In 2013, Argentine state-owned company SOFSE announced that brand new electric multiple unit trains had been acquired for metropolitan services of Buenos Aires. That included 300 coaches for the Roca Line.[9][10][11]

State-owned company Operadora Ferroviaria took over Roca Line (operated by Argentren) after the the Government of Argentina rescinded the contracts signed with the company on March 2, 2015. The contract terms specified that the concession could be cancelled with no right to claim compensation.[12] The agreements had been signed in February 2014, commiting Argentren and Corredores Ferroviarios to operate the lines.[13][14][15]

Services operated

Start End Dist/Km. Type
Constitución Ezeiza 35 Electric
Alejandro Korn 45 Electric
Bosques (via Berazategui) 30 Diesel
La Plata 60 Diesel
Ezeiza Cañuelas 35 Diesel
Temperley Gral. Alvear 230 Diesel
Bosques 10 Diesel
Haedo 10 Diesel
La Plata Policlínico [lower-alpha 4] 4 Railcar

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Electric service.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Diesel service.
  3. ↑ Departs from Temperley station
  4. ↑ Also known as the University train

References

  1. ↑ LGR bulletin #4 at UGOFE website
  2. ↑ "Los eléctricos japoneses del Roca" by Andrés J. Bilstein on Portal de Trenes, 20 Oct 2014
  3. ↑ "Kirchner le quitó la concesión de trenes a Metropolitano", La Nación, 22 May 2007
  4. ↑ "Trenes: le dan a Roggio el Mitre y el San Martín y a Emepa, el Roca y el Belgrano Sur", La Nación, 12 Feb 2014
  5. ↑ "Las privadas volverán a operar la mayoría de las líneas ferroviarias", Clarín, 12 Feb 2014
  6. ↑ "El Gobierno estableció un nuevo régimen de operaciones de las líneas ferroviarias", Telam, 12 Feb 2014
  7. ↑ Sanchéz, Nora (2007). "En abril arrancaría la etapa final de la electrificación del Roca". La Nación (in Spanish). Retrieved 2008-06-16.
  8. ↑ DyN (2008). "Electrificarán todos los ramales del Ferrocarril Roca". www.perfil.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2008-06-11.
  9. ↑ "Prometen nuevos vagones para el Roca" by Mariano Obarrio, La Nación, 24 May 2013
  10. ↑ "Gobierno anunció la compra de 300 vagones para el Roca" by Liliana Franco, Ambito Financiero, 23 May 2013
  11. ↑ "Preparan otra megacompra directa de trenes a China", Clarín, 5 May 2013
  12. ↑ "Ya está lista la ley que prevé más control estatal sobre los trenes", Clarín, 5 Mar 2015
  13. ↑ "Estado rescindió contrato de trenes a privados y avisó que no pagará indemnizaciones", Ambito Financiero, 2 Mar 2015
  14. ↑ "Buenos Aires commuter routes renationalised", Railway Gazzette, 3 Mar 2015
  15. ↑ Resolution N° 171/2015 - Official Bulletin of Argentina

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ferrocarril General Roca.