The infrastructure plan comprises three distinct engineering components across 665 total kilometers. Improvements to 374 kilometers of existing track would upgrade the trunk line crossing Bahía Blanca, Río Negro, and Neuquén to accommodate heavier freight formations. Complete renovation of 208 kilometers would reconstruct the most deteriorated sections of the historic branch line that suffered years of abandonment. Construction of 83 kilometers of new track would create a rail bypass between Contraalmirante Cordero and Añelo, allowing freight convoys to avoid congested urban zones and connect directly with extraction operations at Vaca Muerta’s operational core.
The rail development represents strategic infrastructure for supplying growing demand for fracturing sand, pipes, machinery, and other inputs used in oil and gas extraction operations. The corridor would facilitate movement of production toward major industrial centers and export ports while reducing pressure on truck transport. For the energy sector, the Norpatagónico recovery would deliver critical infrastructure to improve logistics competitiveness and lower costs supporting Vaca Muerta growth in coming years. The project would transfer thousands of tons of industrial cargo from the collapsed Patagonian road network to rail, removing substantial heavy truck traffic from highway systems.
The 48-month construction timeline and comprehensive scope involving track improvement, complete renovation, and new construction reflect the scale of intervention required after extended suspension of this freight corridor linking Argentina’s primary unconventional hydrocarbon basin with port facilities.
This article was curated and published as part of our South American energy market coverage.
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