Buenos Aires and Ensenada Port Railway
| Buenos Aires and Ensenada Port Railway | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Central Station, terminus of the line.
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| Overview | |||
| Native name | Ferrocarril Buenos Aires al Puerto de la Ensenada | ||
| Type | Commuter rail | ||
| Status | Defunct | ||
| Locale | Buenos Aires Province | ||
| Termini |
Central Station Ensenada |
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| Services | 4 | ||
| Operation | |||
| Opened | 1872 | ||
| Closed | 1898 (Acquired by BA Great Southern) |
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| Technical | |||
| Track gauge | 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) | ||
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The Buenos Aires & Ensenada Port Railway (BA&EP) (in Spanish: Ferrocarril Buenos Aires y Puerto de la Ensenada) was a British-owned company that built and operated a broad gauge 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) railway network in Argentina towards the end of the nineteenth century. The company was taken over by its rival the British-owned Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway (BAGS) in 1898.
In 1857 The Buenos Aires Province Legislature granted Government of the Province a concession to build a railway, initially known as "La Boca and Barracas Railway", from the city of Buenos Aires to Ensenada on the Río de la Plata river, near the city of La Plata which was to become the Provincial capital in 1882. The main idea that originated the construction of the line was to connect the city of Buenos Aires with Ensenada, a city in Buenos Aires Province which had a port which was important for its access and commercial demand.
In 1863 concession was granted to Brassey, Wythes & Wheelwright, company owned by American entrepreneur William Wheelwright. Initially known as Ferrocarril de La Boca, works began that same year from the corner of Paseo Colón Avenue and Venezuela street, where currently Escuela Otto Krause is placed.
The first terminus of the line was Venezuela station, where trains departed, running through a viaduct to Casa Amarilla, General Brown, and Barraca Peña, finishing in Tres Esquinas station, reached by the line in September 1865. One year later, a branch from General Brown to Muelle de La Boca was opened.
In 1872 "Buenos Aires & Ensenada Port Railway (BA&EP)" company was officially established, taking over the railway previously founded and operated by Wheelwright. That same year Central Station was inaugurated as terminus of the line. The station, located on the corner of Paseo de Julio Avenue (currently Leandro N. Alem) and Piedad street (today Bartolomé Mitre), consisted of a modern building made of wood and brought directly from Great Britain.
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Wikipedia