Tren de la Costa

What Tren de la Costa does

Tren de la Costa is a state-owned urban and tourist light rail line in Greater Buenos Aires, inaugurated in 1995 and currently operated under Argentina's Ministry of Transport via the Unidad de Gestión de los Ferrocarriles Argentinos (UGFA) and SOFSE. The line spans 15.5 kilometers parallel to the Río de la Plata coast, with 11 stations linking the municipalities of Vicente López, San Isidro, San Fernando, and Tigre. Headline stations include Maipú (Vicente López terminus) and Delta (Tigre terminus), with intermediate stops such as Borges, Libertador, Anchorena, Barrancas, San Isidro R, Punta Chica, Marina Nueva, San Fernando R, and Canal.

The underlying technology is standard fixed-rail urban railway infrastructure; there is no proprietary technology stack, no mobile app, and no API surface in evidence. Service features consist of scheduled passenger trains, fare collection via Argentina's national SUBE contactless transit card (with discounted fares of $350 ARS for the 1st Section and $470 ARS for the 2nd Section versus $1,200 ARS cash), route and schedule information published through a third-party informational website and Google Maps, and a passenger assistance hotline (0800-222-TREN). The asset was originally built and operated by a private company that subsequently declared bankruptcy, after which control was transferred to the National Government.

The business model is a subsidized fare-for-service public transit operation. The sole disclosed revenue stream is passenger fare collection, with fares set and effectively underwritten by the Argentine National Government through the Ministry of Transport. The customer base splits between daily local commuters in the four northern municipalities and tourists visiting Tigre's Puerto de Frutos, San Isidro's historic center, and the coastal recreational areas. The asset is not a privately held or publicly traded company in the conventional sense — it is government-owned public infrastructure, and no revenue figures, funding rounds, headcount, management team, or partnership data are disclosed in the available input.

Name

Tren de la Costa

Legal name

Tren de la Costa

Website

https://trendelacosta.com.ar

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Tren de la Costa is a state-owned 15.5 km, 11-station urban and tourist light rail line in Greater Buenos Aires, operated under Argentina's Ministry of Transport, serving local commuters and tourists across Vicente López, San Isidro, San Fernando, and Tigre along the Río de la Plata coast.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Rail Transportation

NAICS

Commuter Rail Systems (485112)

SIC

Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAIACAA

Public Commuter Rail Operators (Government/Authority-Run)

Travel & Hospitality/Rail, Bus & Ground Passenger Transport/Commuter & Regional Rail Services

SECONDARYTHAIACAC

Regional Rail (Short-to-Mid Distance) Passenger Operators

Travel & Hospitality/Rail, Bus & Ground Passenger Transport/Commuter & Regional Rail Services

SECONDARYTHAIACAF

Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) Commuter Rail Services

Travel & Hospitality/Rail, Bus & Ground Passenger Transport/Commuter & Regional Rail Services

Keywords

• Urban light rail
• Suburban passenger rail
• Public transit service
• Commuter rail line
• Scenic railway route

Headquarters

HQ city

Buenos Aires

HQ country

Argentina

HQ region

Latin America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Transit Fare Revenue: The railway generates revenue through passenger fares collected via the SUBE card system (Argentina's contactless transit card). Fares are subsidized by the National Government under the Ministry of Transport. The service is operated by SOFSE (Operadora Ferroviaria Sociedad del Estado).

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Tren de la Costa operates a 15.5-kilometer suburban light rail line with 11 stations connecting the municipalities of Vicente López, San Isidro, San Fernando, and Tigre in the northern Buenos Aires conurbano, running parallel to the Río de la Plata coast. The service functions as both commuter transportation for local residents and a scenic tourist route providing access to Tigre's waterfront, San Isidro's historic center, and recreational destinations. Fares are collected via Argentina's SUBE contactless transit card, with two section-based fare tiers.

Product overview

Tren de la Costa is a single unified urban and tourist railway service operated by the Argentine Ministry of Transport through the Railway Management Unit. The service consists of a 15.5-kilometer route with 11 stations spanning four municipalities in northern Buenos Aires. The product portfolio includes the core rail service, route and station information, schedule/frequency data, fare pricing with SUBE card integration, and passenger assistance services. The train is administered under the National Government's Ministry of Transport after the original private operator went bankrupt.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tren de la Costa Rail Service Urban and tourist railway service operating along 15.5 kilometers of track with 11 stations, connecting the municipalities of Vicente López, San Isidro, San Fernando, and Tigre in the northern Buenos Aires suburban area, running parallel to the Río de la Plata coast. Used by both daily commuters and tourists.
• Fares and Pricing (Tarifas y Precios) Two-section fare structure: 1st Section costs $350 pesos with SUBE card ($1,200 without), and 2nd Section costs $470 pesos with SUBE card ($1,200 without). Last updated June 2026. Sold as pay-as-you-go single rides to passengers boarding at any of the 11 stations.
• Passenger Assistance (Atención al Pasajero) Customer service offering including a free telephone hotline (0800-222-TREN/8736) available Monday-Friday 5:00-1:00 and weekends 6:00-22:00, an online complaints form via reclamoscap.sofse.gob.ar, and in-person assistance at Maipú Station (Monday-Friday 6:00-20:00). Provided to passengers of the rail service for inquiries, information, and complaints.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Regional players

• Ferrocarril Central (Uruguay): Uruguayan passenger rail concession connecting Montevideo region. Comparable regional passenger rail model in the Southern Cone with similar commuter use case.
• CPTM (Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos): Brazilian state-run commuter rail operator serving São Paulo metropolitan area. Comparable in scale, government ownership, and commuter-focused service model in a major Latin American metro.
• SuperVia: Concession-operated commuter rail serving Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area. Comparable urban commuter rail business with similar ridership profile and Brazilian fare structure.
• Autoridad del Transporte Urbano (Lima): Peruvian transit regulator coordinating the Lima Metro and BRT systems. Comparable as a state-coordinated Latin American urban transit operator serving a major metropolitan area.

Direct peers

• Tren Roca: Argentine commuter rail operated by SOFSE/UGFA, serving southern Buenos Aires. Same operator and governance model; comparable SUBE-integrated fare structure.
• Tren Sarmiento: Argentine commuter rail also operated by SOFSE/UGFA under the Ministry of Transport, serving western Buenos Aires. Comparable in operating model, governance, and fare structure.
• Tren Mitre: Argentine commuter rail line operated by the same SOFSE/UGFA under the Ministry of Transport, serving northern Buenos Aires with overlapping catchment. Directly comparable in operator, governance, and fare structure.
• Subte de Buenos Aires (Metrovías): Buenos Aires underground metro system, also SUBE-integrated and serving Greater Buenos Aires commuters. Closest urban rail peer with similar ridership base and fare/subsidy dynamics.

Broad incumbents

• Ferrocarriles Argentinos (SOFSE): State operator running multiple Argentine rail lines including Tren de la Costa. The parent/incumbent operator provides the broader network context in which Tren de la Costa operates.
• Metro de Santiago (Metro S.A.): State-owned urban rail operator serving Santiago, Chile. Comparable government-owned urban rail business model in a major South American capital city.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tren de la Costa