Metropolitano
{{Short description|Privately owned Argentinian railway consortium formed in 1994}}{{For|the Argentine football tournament held from 1967-1984|Metropolitano championship}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Metropolitano
| logo = Metropolitano arg logo.svg
| logo_size = 200px
| logo_caption =
| image = EMD GT22CW locomotive (A903) - 01.jpg
| image_size = 250px
| image_caption = An EMD GT-22CW locomotive in La Plata.
| trading_name =
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| romanized_name =
| former type =
| type = Private
| traded_as =
| industry = Rail transport
| genre =
| fate = Defunct
| predecessor = FEMESA
| successor = UGOFE
| foundation = 1994
| founder =
| defunct = {{Start date and age|2007}}
| location_city = Buenos Aires
| location_country = Argentina
| locations =
| area_served = Buenos Aires Province
| key_people =
| products =
| production =
| services = Passenger transport
| revenue =
| operating_income =
| net_income =
| aum =
| assets =
| equity =
| owner =
| num_employees =
| parent =
| divisions =
| subsid = TMS, TMR, TMB
| homepage =
| footnotes =
| intl =
| bodystyle =
}}
Metropolitano S.A. was a privately owned consortium formed in 1994 to take over concessions granted by the Argentine government as part of railway privatisation during the presidency of Carlos Menem for the operation of commuter rail services in the Buenos Aires Province.[http://www.clarin.com/diario/2007/05/16/laciudad/h-04002.htm "Una empresa que nació en los años 90", Clarín, 16 May 2007] Metropolitano operated the San Martín, Roca and Belgrano Sur lines until 2007.
History
File:ToshibaMarmoldiciembre2004.jpg electric multiple unit arriving José Mármol, 2004.]]
Passenger services on San Martín, Roca and Belgrano Sur lines had previously been run by state-owned company Ferrocarriles Argentinos since nationalisation of the railways in 1948 and then by FEMESA (a provisional company that operated metropolitan train services until the process of privatisation was carried out).
The services run by Metropolitano started from termini in or near the city centre and were operated out into Greater Buenos Aires by the following subsidiary companies named "Transportes Metropolitanos":
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left"
! width=60px| Subsidiary ! width=100px| Line operated ! width=100px| Operation date | ||
| TMS | San Martín | 1/4/1994 - 7/1/2005 |
| TMR | Roca | 1/1/1995 - 22/5/2007 |
| TMB | Belgrano Sur | 1/5/1994 - 22/5/2007 |
In spite of these companies receiving large government subsidies,[http://www.pagina12.com.ar/diario/elpais/subnotas/85053-27304-2007-05-16.html "Los que viven del subsidio", Página/12, 16/05/2007] their services deteriorated to a point where Metropolitano was repeatedly reported by the users, causing the Government of Argentina to fine the company several times.[http://www.lanacion.com.ar/archivo/nota.asp?nota_id=909332 "Hubo numerosos alertas que no se atendieron"], La Nación, 17 May 2007[http://www.terra.com.ar/canales/informaciongeneral/160/160328.html "Metropolitano, una compañía con reiteradas sanciones", Terra, 16 May 2007][http://www.clarin.com/diario/2007/01/16/laciudad/h-03601.htm "Protestaron contra el ex Roca en Constitución"], Clarín, 16 Jan 2007[http://www.pagina12.com.ar/diario/elpais/subnotas/1-27309-2007-05-17.html "Lo que pasó se veía venir"], Página/12, 17 May 2007
Finally, in 2004 the concession for the operation of Línea San Martín was revoked through National Decree N° 798.[http://infoleg.mecon.gov.ar/infolegInternet/anexos/95000-99999/96017/norma.htm Decreto 798/04: "Sobre Transporte Ferroviario", sitio web Infoleg] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140313001549/http://infoleg.mecon.gov.ar/infolegInternet/anexos/95000-99999/96017/norma.htm |date=2014-03-13 }}
A violent protest of users in Constitución station on 15 May 2007[http://www.clarin.com/diario/2007/05/16/laciudad/h-03815.htm "Caos y furia en Constitución por el atraso en los trenes"], Clarín, 16 May 2007 led to the revocation of the contract of concession that same year[http://www.lanacion.com.ar/910775-kirchner-le-quito-la-concesion-de-trenes-a-metropolitano ""], La Nación, 22 May 2007 through Decrees 591 and 592.[http://www.infoleg.gov.ar/infolegInternet/anexos/125000-129999/128426/norma.htm Decreto 591/07: "Sobre Servicios Ferroviarios de Pasajeros" at Infoleg website][http://www.infoleg.gov.ar/infolegInternet/anexos/125000-129999/128427/norma.htm Decreto 592/07 "Sobre Servicios Ferroviarios de Pasajeros" at Infoleg website]
After the concession was revoked, the three railway lines were taken over by the consortium UGOFE, formed by private companies Ferrovías, Metrovías and Trenes de Buenos Aires.[http://www.laprensa.com.ar/391823-La-UGOFE-se-hara-cargo-de-los-servicios-de-las-dos-lineas-ferroviarias.note.aspx "La UGOFE se hará cargo de los servicios de las dos líneas ferroviarias"], La Prensa
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20050212202251/http://www.metropolitano.com.ar/ Official site] (Archive)
- [http://pasajerosdelroca.blogspot.com.ar Pasajeros del Roca], a blog discussing on-going issues of the Roca Line
{{Commons cat|Metropolitano (Argentina)|Metropolitano}}
{{Railway Companies in Argentina}}
Category:Defunct railway companies of Argentina
Category:Railway companies established in 1994