The concessions for the Sarmiento, Mitre
and Roca freight lines have not been renewed.
ARGENTINA’s minister of transport, Mr
Alexis Guerrera, has decided not to renew the concessions for the Sarmiento,
Mitre and Roca freight lines, instead bringing them under public management
after 30 years.
Freight operation will be transferred to
Argentinean Trains Cargo (TAC), which will look to work with private operators
through open-access and public-private partnerships (PPP), while Argentinean
Trains Infrastructure (TAI) will take over management of the lines.
Guerrera rejected a request from Pampean
Railway Express, New Central Argentina and Ferrosur Roca to extend the
contracts, after a report from the Special Commission for the Renegotiation of
Contracts found that the concessions had a negative impact on the railways,
including on the quality of the infrastructure and the level of service
provided. The commission found TAC should become more involved, with private
operators focusing solely on providing their own services.
TAC will take over after the current
concessions, which expire on October 31 2021 for Pampean Railway Express;
December 21 2022 for New Central Argentina; and March 10 2023 for Ferrosur
Roca. In order to allow a 10-month transition period, Pampean Railway Express
will continue to operate under the terms of the concession until June 30 2022.
TAI will take over management of the
infrastructure after the concessions expire. It will also propose the track
access fees that will be paid by freight and passenger operators following the
transition period, which will be approved by the Ministry of Transport.
TAC will invite the private operators to
operate services, until legislation is passed to allow open access operation,
and will also ensure current staff continue in their jobs.
Argentina Railways (FASE), the parent
company of TAI and TAC, will oversee the implementation of the agreements
between the companies. Together with the Secretariats of Planning and
Transportation Management, it will also prioritise the investments required in
the railways.
In May, the World Bank’s board of directors
approved a $US 347m loan to upgrade infrastructure and improve service levels
on the Mitre Line.