Tren al Desarrollo

Tren al Desarrollo (in English: "Train to Development") is an elevated commuter rail service between the cities of Santiago del Estero (from the "Forum" station) and La Banda (with also a new building) in Santiago del Estero Province. Trains run on 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) Mitre Railway tracks were disused. The line also crosses the Puente Negro, a bridge that had been closed for over 40 years.[2]

Tren al Desarrollo

La Banda station, terminus of the line.
Overview
Service type	Commuter rail
Status	Active
Locale	Santiago del Estero
Predecessor	Ferrocarriles Argentinos
First service	September 19, 2016 (2016-09-19)
Route
Termini	Santiago del Estero La Banda
Stops	4
Distance travelled	8 km (5.0 mi)
Average journey time	25 min
Service frequency	30 min [1]
Line(s) used	Mitre Railway
On-board services
Class(es)	Unique
Seating arrangements	Yes
Technical
Track gauge	1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Track owner(s)	Government of Argentina

In the beginning, the project only planned a 4 km-long line, then extended to 8 km. length to reach La Banda.[3][4]

The Rolling stock used is railbuses made by Argentine company TecnoTren.[5] Each unit has a capacity of 100 passengers (70 seated). The journey time will be about 25 minutes.[6] Santiago Centro terminus station was inaugurated in May 2015.[7]

A total of 3 new stations were projected to be built, "Botánico" (with access to the botanical garden), "Parque Tecnológico" (in the industrial park of the city) and "Banda", the terminus of the line.[8] The total path from Forum to Banda stations will be a 5,10 metre-high viaduct to avoid interfering with road traffic.[9][10]

A third phase of the project focuses on reaching the Termas de Río Hondo, one of the main attractions of the Province,[11] although it could be extended to San Miguel de Tucumán.[12]

In September 2016, the first section of 4-km length (from Santiago to Nodo Tecnológico) was inaugurated. The next section of La Banda is expected to be opened in March 2017.[13]