Línea Roca (Buenos Aires)

The Línea Roca (in English: Roca Line) is a commuter rail service in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, run by the private company Transportes Metropolitanos General General Roca S.A. (TMR), a subsidiary of Metropolitano, between 1 January 1995 and 22 May 2007. This service had previously been run by the state-owned Ferrocarril General Roca since nationalisation of the railways in 1948.

The Línea Roca operates from the city-centre terminus of Estación Constitución south to Alejandro Korn, Cañuelas, and La Plata, and west to Haedo along broad gauge lines built by the British-owned Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway. The intermediate stations connecting the different branch lines are Avellaneda, Bosques and Temperley.

The line consists of 198 kilometers of track (55 of which are electrified), 70 stations, 146 grade crossings, 907 daily services through its different branches, and carries half a million passengers daily.

In spite of the large government subsidies received by TMR a serious decline in the standard of their rail services has led to the original concession being revoked and the service is now operated by the consortium UGOFE. [cite web | author=Sanchéz, Nora| year=2007| title=En abril arrancaría la etapa final de la electrificación del Roca | work=La Nación | url=http://www.clarin.com/diario/2007/03/20/laciudad/h-03615.htm | accessdate=2008-06-16 es icon]

Currently there are plans under way for a major investment to modernize the line with the electrification of the whole system, a new maintenance yard in the town of Tolosa in La Plata, several new bridges and tunels at road crossings and improved grade crossings, all new concrete sleepers and welded rail joints for the entire line, the remodeling of 50 stations and the purchase of 200 electric coaches of the latest technology. [cite web | author=DyN| year=2008| title=Electrificarán todos los ramales del Ferrocarril Roca | work=www.perfil.com | url=http://www.perfil.com/contenidos/2008/03/11/noticia_0053.html | accessdate=2008-06-11 es icon] Presently electrification of Avellaneda-Quilmes and Temperley-Bosques sections are under way.

Train services

* Plaza Constitución-Ezeiza (Electric)
* Ezeiza-Cañuelas (Diesel)
* Plaza Constitución-Alejandro Korn (Electric)
* Constitución-La Plata (via Quilmes) (Diesel)
* Plaza Constitución-La Plata (via Temperley) (Diesel)
* Temperley-Haedo (Diesel)
* Bosques-Berazategui (Diesel)

References