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Metropolitano

An EMD GT-22CW locomotive in La Plata.
Company type	Private
Industry	Rail transport
Predecessor	FEMESA
Founded	1994
Defunct	2007; 17 years ago (2007)
Fate	Defunct
Successor	UGOFE
Headquarters	Buenos Aires, Argentina
Area served	Buenos Aires Province
Services	Passenger transport
Subsidiaries	TMS, TMR, TMB

Metropolitano S.A. was a privately owned consortium formed in 1994 to take over concessions granted by the Argentine government as part of railway privatisation during the presidency of Carlos Menem for the operation of commuter rail services in the Buenos Aires Province. Metropolitano operated the San Martín, Roca and Belgrano Sur lines until 2007.

History

Passenger services on San Martín, Roca and Belgrano Sur lines had previously been run by state-owned company Ferrocarriles Argentinos since nationalisation of the railways in 1948 and then by FEMESA (a provisional company that operated metropolitan train services until the process of privatisation was carried out).

The services run by Metropolitano started from termini in or near the city centre and were operated out into Greater Buenos Aires by the following subsidiary companies named "Transportes Metropolitanos":

In spite of these companies receiving large government subsidies, their services deteriorated to a point where Metropolitano was repeatedly reported by the users, causing the Government of Argentina to fine the company several times.

Finally, in 2004 the concession for the operation of Línea San Martín was revoked through National Decree N° 798.

A violent protest of users in Constitución station on 15 May 2007 led to the revocation of the contract of concession that same year through Decrees 591 and 592.

After the concession was revoked, the three railway lines were taken over by the consortium UGOFE, formed by private companies Ferrovías, Metrovías and Trenes de Buenos Aires.

References

1. "Una empresa que nació en los años 90", Clarín, 16 May 2007
2. "Los que viven del subsidio", Página/12, 16/05/2007
3. "Hubo numerosos alertas que no se atendieron", La Nación, 17 May 2007
4. "Metropolitano, una compañía con reiteradas sanciones", Terra, 16 May 2007
5. "Protestaron contra el ex Roca en Constitución", Clarín, 16 Jan 2007
6. "Lo que pasó se veía venir", Página/12, 17 May 2007
7. Decreto 798/04: "Sobre Transporte Ferroviario", sitio web Infoleg Archived 2014-03-13 at the Wayback Machine
8. "Caos y furia en Constitución por el atraso en los trenes", Clarín, 16 May 2007
9. "", La Nación, 22 May 2007
10. Decreto 591/07: "Sobre Servicios Ferroviarios de Pasajeros" at Infoleg website
11. Decreto 592/07 "Sobre Servicios Ferroviarios de Pasajeros" at Infoleg website
12. "La UGOFE se hará cargo de los servicios de las dos líneas ferroviarias", La Prensa

External links

• Official site (Archive)
• Pasajeros del Roca, a blog discussing on-going issues of the Roca Line

• Defunct railway companies of Argentina
• Railway companies established in 1994
• Railway companies disestablished in 2007
• Rail transport in Buenos Aires Province