Alberto Fernández signed agreements with China for US $ 4,695 million for the reactivation of railway works

The works, which will generate more than 28 thousand jobs throughout the country, will benefit the provinces of Santa Fe, San Luis, Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Mendoza, Jujuy, Salta, Tucumán, Chaco, Corrientes, Río Negro, La Pampa and Neuquén.

The president, who was accompanied by the Minister of Transport, Mario Meoni, and the president of Trains Argentinian Operations, Martin Marinucci; received the representatives of the companies China Railway Construction Corporation Limited (CRCC), China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC), CRRC Corporation Limited, and Yutong; in addition to the authorities of the Railway Infrastructure Administration (ADIF SE), the Railway Operator (SOFSE), and Belgrano Cargas y Logística SA (BCyL).

Meoni considered the investment as “important and historic” because it will generate “a development of many regions hitherto forgotten, or where it could not be produced because the logistical cost made production impossible”.

“If we do not have adequate logistics, there is no development, so we believe that we must have investment for adequate infrastructure that allows us to lower costs and travel times so that more producers reach consumption centers,” said the minister.

Also, he stressed that “these signatures are a vote of confidence in the country that is absolutely transcendental.”

“We are standing up rebuilding Argentina and that is a huge step in that rebuilding,” he said.

The railway line reactivation works

The agreements contemplate the rehabilitation of the Belgrano Cargas railway for an investment of 816,716,703 dollars, of which 65 percent will be allocated to railway works and the 35 at acquisition of equipment for formations and locomotives. The project will generate 6,202 jobs and will intervene along 911 km in the provinces of Jujuy, Salta, Tucumán, Córdoba, San Luis, Santa Fe, Buenos Aires and Catamarca.

It was signed by ADIF and the company CMEC, and has the objective of increasing the competitiveness of transported products, strengthening the development and access of regional economies to new markets and promoting international trade in the areas covered, with a system energy and environmentally sustainable.

Secondly, the tuning of the North Patagonian train, whose investment will require $ 784,000,000 to recover the existing Galván, Empalme Aguará, Cipolletti, and Rear Admiral Cordero road; the construction of the new detour in Añelo; and the placement of signs, railway beaches and detours.

The works, which are part of the memorandum of understanding reached between ADIF and CMEC, will benefit the provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Río Negro, Neuquén along 660 km, and will generate 5,420 jobs.

On the other hand, it will reactivate the San Martín line, from Argentine trains freight, for an investment of $ 2,603,630,876, which will go to equipment works, marking and works, goods and services in two different stages. The project foresees the rehabilitation of railway corridors, and the acquisition of infrastructure to guarantee the correct signaling in each place.

The agreement between ADIF and the Chinese company, CRCC, will benefit the provinces of Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, San Luis, Córdoba and Mendoza, along 1,813 km of extension. The jobs will also generate a total of 16,830 direct jobs.

Finally, the agreement between SOFSE and the company, CRRC, contemplates the acquisition of rolling stock for around $ 490,000,000. In that framework, the Belgrano Sur line will access 111 cars, in addition to spare parts, tools, and technical assistance and training; while the Sarmiento line will have five electrical formations made up of 45 cars.

The Coast train, from Miter line, will acquire 10 electrical trainings (made up of 20 cars), and spare parts; and the regional and local services will receive 30 self-propelled diesel trainings (90 cars).

Further, all lines will access rails and track devices, with technology for railway operation. These improvements will benefit the Metropolitan Area of ​​Buenos Aires.

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