One of the CAF-built light rail cars that serve the line, arriving at Maipú station in 2014
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Overview | |||||
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Service type | Light rail | ||||
Status | Active | ||||
Locale | Greater Buenos Aires | ||||
Predecessor | Mitre Railway | ||||
First service | 1995 | ||||
Current operator(s) | SOFSE | ||||
Former operator(s) | Sociedad Comercial del Plata | ||||
Annual ridership | 651,300 (2014) | ||||
Route | |||||
Start | Maipú | ||||
Stops | 11 | ||||
End | Delta | ||||
Distance travelled | 15.5 km (9.6 mi) | ||||
Average journey time | 30' | ||||
Service frequency | 30' | ||||
On-board services | |||||
Class(es) | Unique | ||||
Technical | |||||
Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) | ||||
Operating speed | 30 km/h (19 mph) | ||||
Track owner(s) | Government of Argentina | ||||
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Route map | |
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Tren de la Costa (in English: "Train of the Coast") is a suburban 15.5 km (9.6 mi), 11-station light rail line in Greater Buenos Aires, between Maipú Avenue station in the northern suburb of Olivos and Delta station in Tigre, on the Río de la Plata. The line connects directly to the Mitre line at Maipú station for direct access to Retiro terminus in the Buenos Aires downtown.
Tren de la Costa is served by nine two-car trains sets. Each train has a capacity of 200 passengers and travels at an average speed of 35 km/h. The journey time is 30 minutes, with a frequency of 30 minutes.
The line was developed during the period between 1891 and 1896 as part of the Buenos Aires and Rosario Railway (BA&R) connecting Coghlan junction in the Buenos Aires neighbourhood of Belgrano with the port of Tigre and was known as the Tren del Bajo. Tracks ran following the course of the river, serving as an alternative route to Tigre, which was already served by the Buenos Aires Northern Railway.
The line was later absorbed by the Central Argentine Railway when this company took over the (BA&R) in 1908. The line was electrified in 1931 and after nationalisation in 1948, it became part of General Mitre Railway. In 1961 the Government of Argentina led by President Arturo Frondizi closed the B. Mitre-Delta branch due to the low amount of passengers carried and high maintenance costs.