The Buenos Aires and Pacific, an ambitious and adventurous road, has nearly equal mileage, 3535, some of which are leased. As its name implies, it operates the main part of the only transcontinental line of South America. In addition to the cross country line from Buenos Aires to Mendoza, and beyond that, the Argentine section of the Trans-Andine, 111 miles to the Chilian Line midway of the tunnel, amounting with branches to 1000 miles, the Company has acquired by lease and construction the Bahia Blanca and North Western Railway, now extended to Mendoza, with branches, a length of 900 miles. From Bahia Blanca a line called the Patagonas Extension has been constructed 167 miles to Carmen de Patagonas at the mouth of the Negro, giving access to northern Patagonia. Land is being irrigated with water from the Colorado River in the effort to attract colonists. It is a property which has been extended too rapidly to pay dividends at the moment, but of an assured future. On the North Western Railway wheat, barley, oats, wine, maize, cattle, sheep, and general merchandise are the freight; the passenger business is small in comparison.
The Buenos Aires Western Railway is fourth in importance, with 1870 miles of track extending from the Once Station, on the Buenos Aires subway in the heart of the city, to sections of La Pampa and San Luis; primarily a freight road, it now carries many passengers. Electricity is used for suburban traffic. By tunnel from the Once station, freight is carried to the port, being by so much ahead of New York. With the Great Southern, the Western has leased the Midland Railway from Buenos Aires to Carhue, 320 miles. In 1912-13 the road carried over 7,000,000 head of live stock, nearly 3,000,000 tons of freight, and 1,000,000 passengers. Wheat, maize, hay, and other agricultural products are the bulk of the freight.
The Córdoba Central, operating 1200 miles, is an amalgamation of several lines extending from that city, one now reaching Buenos Aires, one to San Francisco connecting with Santa Fé and Rosario lines, and another to Tucumán, there connecting with the Government owned road, the Central Northern Railway, to the frontier. It is hoped that the small mileage lacking in Bolivia will soon be completed, when, as the gauge is the same, it will be possible to operate through cars from La Paz to Buenos Aires. The sugar lands of the north are now traversed by this road, sugar and cereals being important freight.
The Entre Rios Railway is a part of the through rail route to Asunción, Paraguay, beginning at Ibicuy on the Paraná River where it is connected with the Buenos Aires Central by ferry, that road bringing the trains from Buenos Aires. The road, about 800 miles long, has the standard gauge, 4 feet 8¹⁄₂ inches.
The Argentina North East Railway, in which the preceding is largely interested, extends through Entre Rios, Corrientes, and a bit of Misiones to Posadas, forming another part of the road to Asunción. It has 750 miles of the same gauge. On account of the war and decrease in traffic, difficulties were experienced; but in 1917-18 there was great improvement, the cattle transport breaking all records, and oranges becoming an important item. By means of a ferry across the Alto Paraná River from Posadas to Encarnación there is through service with sleeping and dining cars from Buenos Aires to Asunción, on account of which travel has greatly increased as well as shipment of freight.
The last three railways with several French roads were in 1912 incorporated under the name of the Argentine Railway, a Maine corporation, but on account of difficulties from the War, receivers were afterward appointed. All of the railways mentioned are British owned, mostly of broad gauge, 5¹⁄₂ feet. One more is the Central Railway of the Chubut Company from Port Madryn to Trelaw, about 50 miles, a section settled chiefly by the Welsh. They plan to carry the road across to the Andean foothills.
While the investments of the British are far larger, the French also saw here an opportunity and financed several railways.
The Province of Santa Fé Railway is the most important, with 1200 miles of line and extensions planned to Asunción;
The Province of Buenos Aires Railway with 800 miles has a line to Rosario, and one to the coal docks and wharves of the port of La Plata; and
The Rosario to Puerto Belgrano, on Bahia Blanca, 500 miles long, is of broad gauge with the idea of exchanging freight with the British lines; the other two lines are of one metre.