Railway privatisation in Argentina
Carlos Menem's administration carried out the privatisation process | |
| Duration | 1989–1999 |
|---|---|
| Location | Argentina |
| Theme | Concession granted to private companies to operate the Argentine rail transport network |
| Cause | Ferrocarriles Argentinos deficit Reform of the state |
| Participants | Government of Argentina Several private consortiums |
Railway privatisation in Argentina was a process which began in 1989 under the presidency of Carlos Menem, following a series of neoliberal economic reforms. This primarily consisted of breaking up the state-owned railway company Ferrocarriles Argentinos (FA) and allowing the former lines to be operated by private companies instead of the state.
This policy was met with widespread criticism and proved catastrophic for the Argentine railways whose service worsened significantly in the years that followed, with entire lines closing and infrastructure deteriorating beyond repair. Privatisation was ultimately reversed in 2015 with the creation of Nuevos Ferrocarriles Argentinos.