en.Wedoany.com Reported - The government of Santa Fe Province, through the Ministry of Productive Development, has submitted a proposal to the National Secretariat of Transport regarding the privatization, concession, and operational opening of the national freight railway system. The proposal was presented by Minister Gustavo Puccini to Transport Secretary Mariano Plencovich, in accordance with Decree No. 67/2025 and Resolution No. 1049/2025, whereby the national executive branch requires the restructuring of the Belgrano, San Martín, and Urquiza railway lines within 12 months.
The proposal aims to improve the current state of freight rail transport in Argentina. Currently, out of approximately 450 million tons of goods transported annually in the country, only 18.8 million tons are moved by rail, with the remainder relying on road transport, a situation that drives up logistics costs and reduces competitiveness. Santa Fe Province emphasizes its strategic role in the country's foreign trade, processing and shipping 80% of Argentina's exported grains, oils, and by-products through its port complex on the Paraná River, with 28% of the nation's total exports departing from its docks.
To ensure a transparent, predictable tender process with proper institutional coordination, the province proposes the formation of a working group composed of the National Secretariat of Transport, the Railway Infrastructure Authority (ADIF), the State Enterprise Transformation Agency (ATEP), and the government of Santa Fe Province. This working group will evaluate technical alternatives, coordinate investments, and build consensus to advance the restructuring of the national railway network.
A key proposal from Santa Fe Province involves completing the railway ring road around the provincial capital, a project connecting north of Santo Tomé via branch line F1 and Laguna Paiva via branch line C, which is approximately 70% complete. The province requests that this project be explicitly included as a priority in the tender documents, with an implementation timeline and start deadline established, and that bidders committing to advance it be positively evaluated during the assessment process.
The document also proposes promoting the development of private railway sidings to improve connectivity for cooperatives, storage facilities, port terminals, and industrial plants. To this end, it recommends establishing clear mechanisms to facilitate the transfer or delivery of abandoned railway infrastructure, particularly tracks, by the Railway Infrastructure Authority (ADIF). The province also requests an analysis of the impact of future concessions on Santa Fe's port system, including ports such as Rosario, Santa Fe, Villa Constitución, San Lorenzo, Puerto General San Martín, and Timbúes.
Another critical point is increasing the transport of new goods related to strategic sectors such as mining, agribusiness, and regional economies, aiming to boost railway freight volumes, reduce logistics costs, and decrease truck traffic on highways. The proposal is part of the logistics development strategy promoted by the government of Governor Maximiliano Pullaro, including a new Hidrovía waterway concession, strengthening provincial public ports, road works leading to port terminals, and introducing new freight modes such as bi-trailers. Within this framework, the railway system is seen as a vital tool for enhancing export competitiveness and strengthening the province's integration, with the goal of consolidating Santa Fe Province, particularly the Greater Rosario area, as one of South America's main logistics hubs, strengthening connections with new value chains related to lithium production in the Northwest region (NOA) and copper mine development in the Cuyo region.
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