Posadas-Encarnación International Train

Posadas–Encarnación
International Train
The train at Posadas station.
Overview
Service type Commuter rail
Status Active
Locale Misiones Province (AR)
Itapúa Department (PY)
First service 2014 (2014)
Current operator(s) Casimiro Zbikoski S.A.[1]
Former operator(s) Ferrocarriles Argentinos
Ridership 8,000 per day[2]
Route
Start Posadas, Misiones
Stops 2
End Encarnación, Paraguay
Distance travelled 8 km (5.0 mi)
Average journey time 10'
Service frequency 30'
Line(s) used Urquiza
Technical
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Electrification Diesel
Track owner(s) Government of Argentina
Route map
 0.0 Posadas, Misiones
 San Roque González de Santa Cruz Bridge (Length: 2,550 m)
 4.7 Encarnación, Paraguay

The Posadas–Encarnación International Train is a 8 km (5.0 mi) commuter rail international service operated between Posadas in Argentina and Encarnación in Paraguay, running on the Urquiza Railway standard gauge tracks. The service was opened in January 2014.[1][3]

Overview

Trains are run by private company Casimiro Zbikoski S.A. under an operation agreement with State-owned Operadora Ferroviaria Sociedad del Estado (SOFSE).[1] The train crosses the San Roque González de Santa Cruz Bridge which joins the two countries together and has an average journey time of 10 minutes with a 30-minute frequency.[4]

The current rolling stock consists of two-carriage diesel-hydraulic railcars originally called "Wadloper", built between 1981 and 1983 by German company DÜWAG for the Dutch railway company Nederlandse Spoorwegen,[1] and have a capacity to carry 250 people. Those railcars had been previously used in the binational service Tren de los Pueblos Libres that joined Argentina and Uruguay,[5] having been active only for one year.[6]

With passenger numbers increasing rapidly after the aperture of the service, the Argentine Ministry of the Interior and Transport stated in March 2015 that it may have to evaluate adding more rolling stock and extending the length of the platforms.[2] Customs officials are only present on the Argentine side of the railway, with entry into both countries managed from there.

In August 2015, the service was suspended for an unspecified period of time, with no reasons given from both, the concessionaire –Casimiro Zbikoski– and Trenes Argentinos. At the time of the service being suspended, the train had carried 250,000 people within the year.[7] On the other hand, the Government of Paraguay stated that they had no objections to anything related to the service, blaming the Argentine authorities for the suspension of the train.[8] Other versions affirmed that the service could be reestablished the second week in September.[9][7] On 7 September, service resumed as normal, though the three-week interruption had not been explained.[10]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Tren Posadas-Encarnación". Satélite Ferroviario.
  2. 1 2 "Misiones: "El tren Posadas-Encarnación, todos los días rompe récords de cantidad de pasajeros y se está llegando al límite operativo"". Crónica Ferroviaria. March 2015.
  3. ↑ "Trenes: Randazzo inauguró el servicio que unirá Posadas y Encarnación". Minutuono. February 2015.
  4. ↑ "Empezó a circular el tren que une Posadas y Encarnación". Territorio Digital. January 2015.
  5. ↑ "Habilitan el tren de los pueblos libres". La Gazeta00. 30 August 2011.
  6. ↑ "Un descarrilamiento anunciado". Portal Montevideo. 24 May 2012.
  7. 1 2 "El tren a Encarnación dejó de operar y tomó por sorpresa a sus usuarios". Misiones Online. 22 August 2015.
  8. ↑ "Argentina suspende tren de forma unilateral". Ultima Hora. 25 August 2015.
  9. ↑ "Tren Posadas-Encarnación: la semana próxima habría novedades". Noticias del 6. 4 September 2015.
  10. ↑ "El servicio del tren Posadas- Encarnación funciona con normalidad". Territorio Digital. 7 September 2015.

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