Millais’s AMBA railways: adjustment, paralysis, and déjà vu in the 1990s

Since then Javier Millay We arrived at Casa Rosada, the railway system of Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA) It became a postcard of fiscal adjustment and institutional uncertainty. Promises of modernization coexist with slow trains, dilapidated stations and a trade union climate reminiscent of the darkest days of privatization in the ’90s.

In mid-2024, the government declared: railway public emergency Promise some investment for 3 years $2.2 billion Signals, automatic braking, track renewal, station improvements, etc. However, according to a report from the Department of Transport itself; Only 20% of planned budget was implementedthe rest were paralyzed by lack of funding and administrative delays.

Long-distance trains to Cordoba and Tucuman temporarily suspended due to track failure

At the same time, Railway operations in Argentinathe state-run company that manages the city system was left headless for months. Political uncertainty delayed key purchasing, bidding, and maintenance decisions.

Meanwhile, service has taken a hit, with trains circulating at 30km/h and routes such as Sarmiento, San Martín and Miter experiencing daily suspensions and cancellations. brotherhoodThe machinists’ union warned that “safety conditions are worsening every day” and blamed a lack of investment in preventive maintenance.

Retrenchment and layoffs, new railway order

A chainsaw also ran along the rail. the closing of Developing Human Capital in Argentina (DECAHF) This resulted in 1,400 layoffs and was interpreted by unions as the first step in a larger redundancy plan. Within the National Railway Holding Company, etc. 3,000 layoffsand some ticket offices and workshops in the suburbs are already operating with reduced staff or have closed completely.

The government claims it aims to “restructure inefficient structures” and reduce subsidies. However, the metropolitan system continues to 90% of national contributioninterest rates will remain frozen from September 2024 onwards, but the first section will be around $280.

Users, hostage to slowness

In AMBA, millions of people rely on trains to get to work. Lack of coordination and maintenance combine to create a vicious cycle. Trips become longer, less frequent, and more crowded..
The Roca and Miter lines maintain an acceptable level of service due to investments inherited from previous management, but the Belgrano Sur and San Martín lines suffer from chronic delays and off-schedule trains.

Those in the field explain that the network is not “collapsed” but “wired.” The only technical relief is Chinese trains purchased between 2014 and 2019, but the vehicles lack new spare parts and show wear and tear.

It’s hard to ignore the similarities to Menemist’s Decade. A lack of political leadership, disinvestment, layoffs and rumors of privatization have revived memories of the railway dismantlement of the 1990s, when thousands of kilometers of track were closed and more than 70,000 workers were laid off.

American company aims to invest $3 billion in Belgrano-San Martin freight trains

Unlike back then, today’s systems maintain a solid-state base and some degree of modernization, but analysts caution that: Current course could reverse 20 years of partial recovery. “We are on the verge of repeating the mistakes of the past, of withdrawing funding first to justify concessions later,” the rail unions say.

The government’s dilemma is clear. It’s about reducing the deficit without eliminating essential services. So far, decisions appear to prioritize tax savings over technical planning. Without sustained investment and professional management, the metropolitan rail system is approaching a critical point.

AMBA train It’s not as bad as it was in the 90’s.but they pass his worst moment since. If the rail emergency does not lead to actual construction, the country could return to a scenario it believed had been overcome: slow, deteriorating and forgotten trains.