El Tren del Fin del Mundo on Tierra de Fuego
The first railway in Argentina opened in 1857, between El Parque and La Floresta, both places today being within the city of Buenos Aires (The original terminus at El Parque is now the site of the Teatro Colón). It was built to a gauge of 5ft 6in (1676mm). This gauge was used extensively on the central plains of Argentina; although metre gauge was used in the mountainous north, and a network to the east of the river Paraná (linking the capital with Paraguay) was built to standard (1435mm) gauge. In the south of the country, railway development was limited to a few isolated lines, mostly narrow gauge.
Railway coverage today remains extensive, and freight lines are well used, but passenger services outside the major cities are patchy.
There is a metre gauge international connection with Bolivia and a standard gauge connection with Uruguay. There were formerly two metre gauge international links with Chile, but only one of these remains in use. An international connection with Brazil takes the form of a bridge over the Uruguay river to Uruguiana, where the standard gauge lines of Trenes Argentinos in Argentina interchange traffic with the metre gauge Rumo in Brazil. A former standard gauge international link with Paraguay reopened in 2002; this link was diverted in 2012 around the site of a lake to be formed over the original alignment by the construction of a new dam.
Passenger Operators
Trenes Argentinos state owned passenger operator of commuter and long distance services, and a short international service to Paraguay (Site in Spanish)
Freight Operators
. Trenes Argentinos Cargas state owned main line and metre gauge freight operator (Site in Spanish)
. Ferronor Chilean freight operator providing international services on part of the Trenes Argentinos network (Site in Spanish)
. NCA independent freight operator (Site in Spanish)
.YCRT state owned mining and energy company in Patagonia with its own 285km, 750mm gauge railway connecting coal mines at Rio Turbio with the port of Punta Loyola, near Rio Gallegos (Site in Spanish)
Freight Operators
. Trenes Argentinos Cargas state owned main line and metre gauge freight operator (Site in Spanish). Tren a las Nubes (Train to the Clouds). San Antonio de los Cobres to La Polvorilla Viaduct, reaching a height of over 4200m above sea level. A whole day excursion with bus connection from Salta is possible. Operates on various days throughout the year, typically at least once each week
. Tren Patagonico between Viedma and Bariloche in Rio Negro province. Shorter journeys possible, the complete route being a long overnight journey. Operates daily throughout the year. Steam trains operate on Saturdays between Ing Jacobacci and Ojos de Aguas (Site in Spanish)
.Patagonian Express in Chubut province. 750mm gauge. Two sections currently in use, Esquel to Nahuel Pan and El Maitén to Ñorquinco. Operates Saturdays and a few other days, April to August. Usually steam hauled (Site in Spanish)
. Tren Ecologico de la Selva a 3.6km, 600mm gauge railway in the Iguazù National Park, conveying visitors to the waterfalls area of the Park. Operates whenever the Park is open. Admission fee to the Park is payable (Site in Spanish)
Metros & Trams
. Buenos Aires
Metro and tramsHistoric trams operating weekends and public holidays throughout the year (Site in Spanish)
Mar del Plata historic trams operating in Parque Camet (Site in Spanish, contains little detail relating to trams)
Mendoza trams (Site in Spanish)
Tierra del Fuego
round 1800, a short tramway was opened on Isla de los Estados (known as Staten Island to the American sealers) to facilitate the transfer of small sailing boats between two nearby bays. It was reported active in 1885, but it is not know how long it remained in use.
In 1896, the Argentine government decided to construct a prison at Ushuaia, at the southern extremity of Tierra del Fuego. A xilorail (wooden railway) was installed to aid during the construction, using oxen to haul wagons. By 1909, this had been replaced by a steam hauled, 600mm gauge, Decauville type railway. The railway brought supplies to the prison from the wharf, and building materials (stone and wood) from the hinterland. Over the years it grew to a sizeable network. The jail closed in 1947, and closure of the railway followed in 1952. However, in 1994, a part of the line was reopened as a tourist operation. It runs from a station located a few km to the west of the town of Ushuaia, into the Tierra del Fuego National Park. Not quite the most southerly railway in the world (see Antarctica), but certainly the most southerly to offer a regular service for fare paying passengers. Operates daily throughout the year, steam or diesel hauled