LEGISLATION to renationalise Argentina's railways become law on May 20 when President Mrs Christina Fernandez de Kirchner signed a bill reviving Argentinean Railways (FA) as a state company.

THE first of 27 three-car DMUs being supplied by CNR for commuter services on the metre-gauge Belgrano Sur network in Buenos Aires rolled off the production line at the CNR Tianjin plant in eastern China on April 15.

ARGENTINA's Train of the Clouds was revived on April 4, when the Salta provincial government took over operation of the tourist service.

ARGENTINEAN president Mrs Christina Kirchner announced on March 2 that the government will present a bill to Congress to renationalise all of the country's railways, bringing to an end more than a quarter of a century of private operation in Argentina.

ARGENTINA's Interior and Transport Ministry has concluded contracts for the resignalling of Buenos Aires' Sarmiento and Mitre suburban lines, together with the electrification of the final section of the 60km Buenos Aires Constitutión – La Plata Line.

CSR confirmed on December 15 that it has been awarded a contract worth around Yuan 1.7bn ($US 270m) to supply 100 diesel locomotives and 3500 wagons of various types as part of the reconstruction of Argentina's Belgrano Cargas network.

A new fleet of Chinese-built suburban EMUs entered service on Buenos Aires' Mitre Line on November 25, replacing life-expired rolling stock with an average age of more than 50 years.

ARGENTINEAN President Mrs Christina Kirchner and transport and interior minister Mr Florencio Randazzo witnessed the unloading of the first new EMU cars for Buenos Aires' Mitre suburban lines on September 8.

ARGENTINA's world-famous Tren de las Nubes (Train of the Clouds) has ceased operating and concessionaire Ecotren has been stripped of its contract following a derailment in a remote area of the Andes.

ARGENTINEAN President Mrs Christina Kirchner and transport and interior minister Mr Florencio Randazzo officially launched the new fleet of Chinese-built suburban EMUs for Buenos Aires' Sarmiento Line on July 21, when the first trains entered passenger service between Once and Moreno.