MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Swedish contractor to expand Argentine railroad network to Bahía Blanca
Argentina is expanding its railroad network to cope with increasing demands for its growing export sector plus expectations of a boost in transit trade from landlocked Paraguay and regional commerce. Read full article
Comments
Disclaimer & comment rulesHow long before it gets mis-managed like last time and shut down?
Jan 05th, 2012 - 05:53 am - Link - Report abuse 0#1
Jan 05th, 2012 - 04:17 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I live in a state where the rail tracks are in place but the trains stopped running about 25 years ago (I'm told). The distances here are vast. Trains should be the number one form of transport all over the country. People here have cars that are ready to fall apart at any second but no one gets the trains back on the agenda. Such a waste.
I just hope Skanska gets the money up front from it's the two Argentine companies, Chediak and Milicic who will be Skanska's partners in the joint venture with Potasio Rio Colorado S.A.,
Jan 05th, 2012 - 08:13 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Joint venture, eh? Potasio is 50% and Skanska 'about one third'. That leaves the other two with 8.4% each. Bet the Argies want 50% of the profits though.
Business as usual.
Anybody know what gauge the track is? My son is a railbuff & wants to know.
Jan 06th, 2012 - 08:15 am - Link - Report abuse 0We read that the British built the original railway.
Thank you.
Hi Isolde
Jan 06th, 2012 - 12:33 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The 'new' track is an extension of the present track built by the British, so it SHOULD be 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in / 1,435 mm standard gauge.
I have to say though that Argentina uses many gauges and has more Indian gauge 5 ft 6 in / 1,676 mm track than standard gauge. Having checked the present operating lines it does seem that the standard gauge is the one being extended.
Sorry I cannot be of more help.
lsolde
Jan 06th, 2012 - 01:39 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I have a friend who has a track that runs through his Farm. If I get a chance I measure it.
If he like trains he would like seeing some of the things here.
It is actually quite interesting. You travel to some really out of the way places and find the local (abandoned) rail station. It is like stepping back 100 years (or more). All the light fittings and wrought iron work all from Sheffield, Scales from Birmingham etc. Some have an old Locomotive tractor unit as a show piece of what “used to be”.
Even the names of the towns that grew up around them have British origins in their names. What a huge input the British had in Argentina. Such a shame about the indoctrination and hate campaign. It wasn't always like this.
Thanks boys,
Jan 07th, 2012 - 04:49 am - Link - Report abuse 0l'll pass it on.
Yes, it is a great shame that all this bad feeling arose. My family seriously thought of emigrating to Argentina at one point.
Had that have happened l would probably have been born there & might now be arguing the toss from the other side!
One day when they have dropped their ridiculous “claims”, l would like to visit the country.
Antarctica & South America are the only continents that l have not visited.
l have just been informed that the 5'6'' lndian gauge was designed by the British in lndia to give stability for trains in monsoon winds.
Another British first!
proof if any were needed, just how well of Argentina was when the british were arround,
Jan 07th, 2012 - 08:29 pm - Link - Report abuse 0now look at them,
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