ARGENTINA: Tren de las Sierras regional services in the northern city of Córdoba have been expanded to serve Capilla del Monte, following the completion of renovation work on a 34 km section of the metre-gauge line from Valle Hermoso.
Work to rebuild the single-track route included track renewal and reballasting, along with vegetation clearance. La Falda and La Cumbre stations were rebuilt, and the level crossings warning signals were replaced. This allowed the resumption of passenger services to Capilla del Monte on November 16 after an absence of 46 years.
‘The extension of this service will allow both tourists and those who live in these localities to have the train available as a new transport option to carry out their daily tasks,’ commented Martin Marinucci, President of Trenes Argentinos Infrastructure.
The extension is initially being operated as a shuttle from Valle Hermoso which also serves the intermediate stations at La Falda, Huerta Grande, La Cumbre, and San Esteban,. Trenes Argentinos is providing three trains each way to Calpilla del Monte with a journey time of around 1 h 20 min and another runs as far as La Cumbre. Connections are available at Villa Hermoso with trains to and from Córdoba, offering an end-to-end journey of around 4 h 50 min.
- Subscribers can read more about the drive to restore passenger services in Argentina in the August 2023 issue of Railway Gazette International.
