While Brazil concentrates billion-dollar railways in the hands of private giants through concession, Argentina is trying to recover 14,000 km of tracks on 9 fronts, betting on a model that may require up to 7 times more trains to transport the same cargo.

Written by Andriely Medeiros de Araújo

Published on 08/05/2026 at 07:09

Updated on 08/05/2026 at 07:10

Be the first to react!

The Argentine government proposes to divide its railway network into nine concessions across three logistical corridors. The “open access” model generated skepticism from large investors, such as Grupo México, which demands radical changes in the rules to participate.

The transport infrastructure in Argentina is going through a decisive moment with the proposal of a new framework for the cargo sector. Unlike Brazil, which operates with centralized concessions, the Argentine government plans to divide its network into nine distinct fronts across three logistical corridors.

The objective is to reduce the hegemony of asphalt, which currently dominates 95% of goods transport in the country. However, the “open access” strategy generates uncertainties about efficiency, as studies indicate that fragmented models can require up to seven times more trains than integrated systems to move the same cargo.

The contrast with the experience of the Brazilian railway network

The discussion about railways in Argentina becomes clearer when compared to the Brazilian scenario. In Brazil, companies like VLI, Rumo, and MRS exclusively manage both the tracks and the wagons, which ensures predictability for large financial investments.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

Foreign capital imposes severe conditions in Argentina

Despite the Ministry of Deregulation’s intentions to promote competition, the project faces skepticism from large investors. Grupo México, the main interested party in injecting about US$3 billion into the reconstruction of Buenos Aires’ infrastructure, conditioned its entry on a complete reformulation of the rules.

The Argentine government proposes to divide its railway network into nine concessions across three logistical corridors. The "open access" model generated skepticism from large investors, such as Grupo México, which demands radical changes in the rules to participate. — The Argentine government proposes to divide its railway network into nine concessions across three logistical corridors. The “open access” model generated skepticism from large investors, such as Grupo México, which demands radical changes in the rules to participate. Image: Canva.

The company’s CEO, Fernando López, was emphatic in rejecting the current tender design: “If there isn’t a radical change in how the tender is structured, we will not participate.”

For these large groups, the free access system hinders logistical coordination and dilutes the return on invested capital. Furthermore, the consortium of grain exporters — which holds 85% of the cargo flow of the state-owned Argentina — maintains a cautious stance, awaiting clearer regulatory norms.

The network diagnosis and the urgency of the plan

The need for reform is evidenced by the critical state of the network controlled by the state-owned Trenes Argentinos Cargas.

Currently, the country has:

Total Network: 14 thousand kilometers in length.

Operational Sections: Only 7.6 thousand kilometers (just over half).

Road Dependence: Trucks transport almost all (95%) of national cargo.

Main Products: Grains and minerals, essential for Argentine exports.

Federico Sturzenegger, Minister of Deregulation, believes that opening up the system is the way to lower costs. Along the same lines, Alejandro Núñez, president of the state railway company, states that the proposal could increase the system’s efficiency.

Risks of a fragmented operation in Argentina

The big question hanging over Argentina is whether the “Open Access” model will be able to ensure the necessary fluidity. The division between those who maintain the tracks and those who operate the train could increase coordination costs and create bottlenecks at terminals.

Thus, the success of the proposal will depend on a regulatory framework that resolves traffic conflicts between different operators.

Without this security, the plan risks not attracting the necessary resources to modernize a fleet and signaling system that currently prevent the country from competing on equal terms in the global logistics market.

With information from the website Transporte Moderno and CNN Brasil

While Brazil concentrates billion-dollar railways in the hands of private giants through concession, Argentina is trying to recover 14,000 km of tracks on 9 fronts, betting on a model that may require up to 7 times more trains to transport the same cargo.

The Argentine government proposes to divide its railway network into nine concessions across three logistical corridors. The “open access” model generated skepticism from large investors, such as Grupo México, which demands radical changes in the rules to participate.

The contrast with the experience of the Brazilian railway network

Foreign capital imposes severe conditions in Argentina

The network diagnosis and the urgency of the plan

Risks of a fragmented operation in Argentina

A village with 115 inhabitants wants new residents: it offers a house, a job, up to 44 thousand euros in benefits, almost free rent, an annual grant of 8 thousand euros for 3 years, and a 20 thousand euro incentive for businesses in the mountains of Italy.

Goodbye traditional washing machine: Xiaomi surprises and launches an ultra-slim version with 27 programs, 3D water flow, steam sterilization, app control, enlarged drum, and a silent system with double suspension

NASA is offering US$ 750,000 to people from anywhere in the world who solve a problem that could decide survival on Mars: creating food for astronauts without relying on resupply from Earth.

With an 88-meter wingspan, a capacity of 250 tons, six engines, and 32 wheels, the Ukrainian giant became the greatest symbol of extreme air transport and one of the most impressive machines in aviation history.

Toyota ends the Diesel era: new Hilux with up to 380 km of urban range brings 196 hp, 59.2 kWh battery, 4×4 traction and 715 kg of load capacity

After 16 years and almost 600 prototypes, a Chinese inventor unveils the world’s smallest and cheapest manned jet, at just 3.80 meters long and costing US$7.2 thousand in materials.

Magalu has a clearance sale on JBL Boombox 4 with 210W of power, 34-hour battery, and 3-way system.

Armed ships, uncrewed and operating in dangerous locations: how the US ghost ship fleet transforms commercial vessels into autonomous machines of up to 2,000 tons for dangerous missions without putting crews on the front line.

New satellite images show a growing lava dome at the Shiveluch volcano, one of the world’s most active, which is in continuous eruption.

Buried for 1,800 years under the waters of the Aegean, in Greece, a 32-meter classical stoa with bronze coins and marble statues was finally revealed when archaeologists drained the ocean.

Silent for 1,900 years at the bottom of Lake Atitlán, in Guatemala, researchers have discovered an entire submerged Maya village, with giant pyramids and 32 ceremonial platforms that were submerged 17 meters deep.

The trains in the Netherlands have 2,000-watt laser cannons that vaporize leaves at 5,000 °C on the tracks — and England invented the technology, but gave up on it in 2002.

While Brazil concentrates billion-dollar railways in the hands of private giants through concession, Argentina is trying to recover 14,000 km of tracks on 9 fronts, betting on a model that may require up to 7 times more trains to transport the same cargo.

The Argentine government proposes to divide its railway network into nine concessions across three logistical corridors. The “open access” model generated skepticism from large investors, such as Grupo México, which demands radical changes in the rules to participate.

The contrast with the experience of the Brazilian railway network

Foreign capital imposes severe conditions in Argentina

The network diagnosis and the urgency of the plan

Risks of a fragmented operation in Argentina

A village with 115 inhabitants wants new residents: it offers a house, a job, up to 44 thousand euros in benefits, almost free rent, an annual grant of 8 thousand euros for 3 years, and a 20 thousand euro incentive for businesses in the mountains of Italy.

Goodbye traditional washing machine: Xiaomi surprises and launches an ultra-slim version with 27 programs, 3D water flow, steam sterilization, app control, enlarged drum, and a silent system with double suspension

NASA is offering US$ 750,000 to people from anywhere in the world who solve a problem that could decide survival on Mars: creating food for astronauts without relying on resupply from Earth.

With an 88-meter wingspan, a capacity of 250 tons, six engines, and 32 wheels, the Ukrainian giant became the greatest symbol of extreme air transport and one of the most impressive machines in aviation history.

Toyota ends the Diesel era: new Hilux with up to 380 km of urban range brings 196 hp, 59.2 kWh battery, 4×4 traction and 715 kg of load capacity

After 16 years and almost 600 prototypes, a Chinese inventor unveils the world’s smallest and cheapest manned jet, at just 3.80 meters long and costing US$7.2 thousand in materials.

Magalu has a clearance sale on JBL Boombox 4 with 210W of power, 34-hour battery, and 3-way system.

The trains in the Netherlands have 2,000-watt laser cannons that vaporize leaves at 5,000 °C on the tracks — and England invented the technology, but gave up on it in 2002.

R$ 258 million and 34.5 km of new connection to the Madeira River: works on the access to Porto Novo begin in Rondônia to remove 1,200 trucks per day from the urban area of Porto Velho

Is Amazon becoming a “global post office”? Big Tech opens its logistics to any company, puts more than 100 planes and warehouses on the market, and makes UPS and FedEx lose about 10% on the stock market by raising the delivery dispute to a new level.

Buenos Aires began construction in February 2026 on a ring-shaped bridge with a diameter of 140 meters, a 540-meter tunnel, and a viewpoint with panoramic views of the planes — and the deadline is just 20 months.

Amazon opens its powerful logistics structure to third-party companies and transforms freight, import, inventory, and deliveries into a new global bet.

Armed ships, uncrewed and operating in dangerous locations: how the US ghost ship fleet transforms commercial vessels into autonomous machines of up to 2,000 tons for dangerous missions without putting crews on the front line.

New satellite images show a growing lava dome at the Shiveluch volcano, one of the world’s most active, which is in continuous eruption.

Buried for 1,800 years under the waters of the Aegean, in Greece, a 32-meter classical stoa with bronze coins and marble statues was finally revealed when archaeologists drained the ocean.

Silent for 1,900 years at the bottom of Lake Atitlán, in Guatemala, researchers have discovered an entire submerged Maya village, with giant pyramids and 32 ceremonial platforms that were submerged 17 meters deep.

The trains in the Netherlands have 2,000-watt laser cannons that vaporize leaves at 5,000 °C on the tracks — and England invented the technology, but gave up on it in 2002.