Infrastructure failures cause passenger train derailment in Argentina

A passenger train operated by Trenes Argentinos derailed in the Gramilla area of Santiago del Estero province. The incident involved four of the eight wagons shifting from the tracks, though no injuries were reported.

Investigations into the derailment have ruled out operational errors, instead pointing to structural infrastructure failures. The concessionaire, Nuevo Central Argentino S.A. (NCA), reported that the incident was caused by rail sinking due to deteriorated sleepers. These sleepers exhibited internal decay, including fungus and rot, which authorities described as a ‘vicio oculto’ (hidden defect) that was not detectable during routine visual inspections.

Following the incident, surveys identified approximately 50,000 damaged sleepers on the lines connecting Retiro with Córdoba and Tucumán.