Argentina Opens 50-Year Concession Tender for Belgrano Cargas Freight Network

Argentina's government has formally opened bidding to privatise operations of Belgrano Cargas y Logistica, calling a national and international tender for 50-year concessions covering the Belgrano, San Martin and Urquiza freight railway lines.

The tender covers roughly 7,594 km of track across 16 provinces. The state will retain ownership of the infrastructure and regulatory oversight, while concession holders take on operation, maintenance and investment obligations. Winning bidders must allow open access for any operator wanting to move freight over the network, a condition intended to prevent concessionaires from establishing monopolies on their routes.

Bidders will be required to commit to roughly US$800m of infrastructure investment over the first five years of the concession, and successful operators will be eligible for tax and customs benefits under Argentina's RIGI regime for large investments.

The tender is a central plank of President Javier Milei's push to privatise state-run freight rail, following years of underinvestment that left large sections of the Belgrano network operating at reduced speeds or out of service. If completed, it would rank among the largest rail concessions in Latin America and could reshape freight logistics for agricultural and mining exports from Argentina's interior provinces to Atlantic and Pacific ports.

For international rail operators, contractors and rolling stock suppliers, the concession represents a rare opportunity to enter a large, underdeveloped freight network with substantial capital commitments attached.