| Buenos Aires Underground | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
 Bolívar station | |||
| Overview | |||
| Native name | Subterráneo de Buenos Aires | ||
| Owner | Subterráneos de Buenos Aires S.E. (government corporation) | ||
| Locale | Buenos Aires | ||
| Transit type | Rapid transit | ||
| Number of lines | 7[1] | ||
| Number of stations | 104 | ||
| Daily ridership | 1.38 million (2018)[2] | ||
| Website | City of Buenos Aires | ||
| Operation | |||
| Began operation | 1 December 1913 | ||
| Operator(s) | Emova Movilidad S.A. | ||
| Technical | |||
| System length | 56.7 km (35.2 mi)[1] 63.1 km (39.2 mi) including Premetro[1] | ||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge | ||
| Electrification |      = 1500 V overhead line  = 550 V third rail and 550 V overhead line  = 750 V overhead line | ||
| |||
The Buenos Aires Underground (Spanish: Subterráneo de Buenos Aires), locally known as Subte (Spanish: [ˈsuβte]), is a rapid transit system that serves the area of the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The first section of this network (Plaza de Mayo–Plaza Miserere) opened in 1913, making it the 13th earliest subway network in the world and the first underground railway in Latin America, the Southern Hemisphere, and the Spanish-speaking world, with the Madrid Metro opening nearly six years later, in 1919. As of 2023, Buenos Aires is the only Argentine city with a metro system.
Currently, the underground network's six lines—A, B, C, D, E, and H—comprise 56.7 kilometers (35.2 mi) of routes that serve 90 stations. The network is complemented by the 7.4-kilometre-long (4.6 mi) Premetro line, and the 26-kilometre-long (16 mi) Urquiza suburban line, with 17 more stations in total. Traffic on lines moves on the left because Argentina drove on the left at the time the system opened. Over a million passengers use the network, which also provides connections with the city's extensive commuter rail and bus rapid transport networks.
The network expanded rapidly during the early decades of the 20th century; by 1944, its main routes were completed, with the addition of its newest line occurring as late as 2007. The pace of expansion fell sharply after the Second World War. In the late 1990s, expansion resumed at a quicker pace, and four new lines were planned for the network. Despite this, the network's expansion has been largely exceeded by the transportation needs of the city and is said to be overcrowded. As of 2015, two modernisation plans have been presented: City of Buenos Aires law 670, proposing the creation of 3 new lines (F, G, and I), and the PETERS plan, wherein 2 lines are created and the I line is postponed for future expansion, plus several other route amendments. Since 2019, there are no expansions under construction, for the first time in half a century.[3]
The entire network was nationalised in 1939, remaining in state hands and operation until the mid-1990s, when it entered into a concession model. The previously state-operated lines were offered as 20-year concessions to interested private parties; the two complementary lines were also included in this privatisation, and all were operated by Metrovías from 1995 to 2021, though the network and rolling stock remain the property of the City of Buenos Aires.
In December 2021, "Emova Movilidad S.A." took over the concession of the Buenos Aires Underground for 12 years. Emova is also part of the Roggio Group, associated with former operator Metrovías.[4]
- ^ a b c "Nuestra compañía – ¿Qué hacemos?" [Our Company – What We Do] (in Spanish). Metrovias. Archived from the original on 16 July 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
- ^ "Subte: con récord de pasajeros, siguen las quejas por el servicio y busca mejorar con más obras". 13 August 2018. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
- ^ "Estancado y en crisis, el Subte cumple 107 años". enelSubte (in Spanish). 1 December 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
- ^ Subte: a partir de mañana Emova Movilidad S.A. se hará cargo de la operación y mantenimiento on GCBA, 30 Nov 2021