Argentina invests $324 million in new trains for AMBA

Trenes Argentinos has made the first payment for a $324 million contract to acquire 43 new Diesel Multiple Units (DMU) for the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires (AMBA). The investment, part of a railway emergency plan, includes 150 passenger cars and three years of maintenance, technical documentation, and commissioning. The new units are expected to arrive by late 2027 and will serve the Roca, Mitre, Sarmiento, San Martín, and Belgrano Sur lines. This acquisition aims to modernize the fleet, improve safety, increase travel speeds, and reduce fuel consumption by nearly half compared to current locomotives.

In Jujuy, Governor Carlos Sadir met with World Bank representatives to advance the Resilient Infrastructure Program for Economic Development. The project focuses on three strategic areas: Provincial Route 1, a Transfer and Loading Center, and mining development. The World Bank expressed interest in supporting infrastructure that accompanies mining growth while preventing negative social and environmental impacts.

In Salta, Governor Gustavo Sáenz has raised political tensions by demanding that infrastructure improvements for the Belgrano Cargas rail branches C14 and C15 be mandatory in private tender documents. This move seeks to ensure that mining exports, including lithium and gold, can be efficiently transported toward Chile and Bolivia, rather than leaving infrastructure upgrades to the discretion of private concessionaires.