The government celebrates trains that travel at 40 kilometers per hour

The administration of Alberto Fernández, just as it happened during the governments of Néstor and Cristina Kirchner, has a particular fondness for “The railway question”. They are convinced that the reopening of branches – especially for passenger transport, more within the country – is a kind of Historical vindication of the best Peronist daysperhaps to erase the “Branch that stops, branch that closes”famous phrase of another Peronist president, Carlos Menem.

But railway dreams collide with reality. The railway services that are being inaugurated have a particular characteristic: trains travel at an average speed of 40 kilometers per hour. A disturbing parallel with the pace of government management.

This Friday was a celebration – with the presence of the President of the Nation Alberto Fernández; the governor Omar Perotti; Economy Minister Sergio Massa (did not enjoy himself when he came to greet the neighbors present), Mayor Stella Maris Clérici, active forces and fanfare – in the city of Santa Fe of Gomez Valley.

The reason for the act, the reopening of the service that connects the city with Rosario, which required an investment of 1,000 million pesos. Official information says so the 70-kilometer journey will take 2 hours and 10 minutes for the price of $ 120 pesos, less than an official dollar, less than 45 blue cents. The journey takes twice as long as it takes by car. It is a time similar to that of an intercity bus trip.

Days ago, the inauguration corresponded to the stretch that connects the Retiro terminal with Justo Daract, a town in San Luis. A 15-hour trip to cover 670 kilometers at a cost of 675 pesos.

It is not known whether the public is requesting these services. Clarione He said the train from Daract to Retiro left almost empty.

What there is no doubt about is that the maintenance of passenger trains adds, and a lot, to the fiscal deficit that the new minister Sergio Massa wants to reduce.

Only in the first quarter of this year the Trenes Argentinos company recorded due operating losses 300 million dollars between January and March of this year, equivalent to 3.3 million dollars a day.

Trains are also the country’s largest employer. Pay the monthly salary 30,102 employees. In addition: 64% of SOFSE’s operating income, which is what it bills for its services, is used to pay the salaries of its employees.

The emotional rescue of trains is in itself quite underestimated. In 2006, encouraged by growth at Chinese rates, a double surplus, a high and competitive dollar and absolute political power, Néstor Kirchner presented the project for a bullet train that would depart from Buenos Aires-Rosario-Córdoba (710 km) in 3 hours. It couldn’t be.