Summary - TST 3-4

TRANSPORTES, SERVICIOS Y TELECOMUNICACIONES


TST 3-4

Elena Salerno
Los Ferrocarriles del Estado, conectividad y política en la Argentina

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[ Abstract ]

In Argentina, the State financed, build and operated the State Railways based on a subsidiary criterion. All throughout the liberal administration, they fostered the regional economies, building in those places where the private capitals did not reach and strenghening the provincial élites politically and economically. In this way two tendencies alternated: one, which fostered the state investment, and the other, that gave rise to the sale of profitable branch lines, aiming at reducing the state participation or investing in low or no profitable faraway regions.
Since Yrigoyen administration (1916-1922) onward, some changes were introduced and the railway policy orientation was partially altered. Sale plans or state lines leasing ended up, the railway network enlargement was restarted and –to improve their profitability- research into a direct acces to Buenos Aires was promoted. When the State Railways finally reached the city of Buenos Aires at the end of the 30', high level competition with transport vehicles laid down the beginning of their decadence. Even then, the Argentinian State maintained a subsidiary policy tending to save the English investors interested in abandoning a no longer profitable activity.