Ferrocarril Provincial de Buenos Aires
| Province of Buenos Aires Railway | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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Avellaneda was terminus of the line,
then becoming a railway museum. |
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| Overview | |||
| Native name | Ferrocarril Provincial de Buenos Aires | ||
| Type | Inter-city | ||
| Status | Defunct company; rail line inactive | ||
| Locale | Buenos Aires Province | ||
| Operation | |||
| Opened | 1912 | ||
| Closed | 1977 | ||
| Owner | Government of Buenos Aires Province | ||
| Operator(s) | Ferrocarril Belgrano (1948-77) | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 902 km (560 mi) | ||
| Track gauge | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) | ||
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The Province of Buenos Aires Railway (in Spanish: Ferrocarril Provincial de Buenos Aires - FCPBA) was a state-owned company that operated a 902 km 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) metre gauge railway network in the Province of Buenos Aires in Argentina. Founded in 1907 as the "Ferrocarril Provincial del Puerto de La Plata al Meridiano V", the company changed its name to FCPBA in 1924, in 1951 it was taken into state ownership and in 1953 it was absorbed by the state-owned Belgrano Railway. The FCPBA should not confused with the similarly named French–owned Compañía General (CGBA) which also operated in the Province.
By the end of 19th Century, railway lines in Buenos Aires Province were managed by two British companies, BA Great Southern and Argentine Great Western. Both companies had the monopoly of the market, apart from fixing the rates. Therefore, the Government of Buenos Aires thought of an railway transport which could work as an efficient alternative to the British-owned ones.
In 1897, the "Law of Agriculture and Economy Railway lines" was promulgated. This Law allowed any person to build (under some legal and technical requirements) 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge railway lines. Governor of Buenos Aires Province, Marcelino Ugarte, encouraged the construction of a regional railway line to compete against the dominant British companies. He considered that the appearance of a more economic railroad transport would make British companies to decrease the rates to keep their position in the market.
A provincial decree promulgated in September 1904 decided the construction of a railway line from Barracas al Sud to Carhué. This line was given to Buenos Aires Midland Railway in 1906. In March 1905 the other concession were given to French-owned Compañía General de Ferrocarriles en la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Both lines would be competing against Ferrocarril Provincial.
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