Teresa Márquez Martínez (National Center for the Preservation of Railway Cultural Heritage, Ministry of Culture, Government of Mexico) and Román Moreno Soto (Coordinator of the Center for Railway Documentation and Research at the CNPPCF).
From Rescue to Digital Repository: The Documentary Collections of the Center for Railway Documentation and Research.

This paper examines the role of the Center for Railway Documentation and Research (CEDIF), based at the National Museum of Mexican Railways (Puebla), in the preservation and dissemination of railway documentary heritage in the context of the privatization of Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México (FNM), which began in 1995.
CEDIF, whose origins date back to the first documentary acquisitions in 1988, was consolidated following the National Program for the Rescue of Historical, Cultural, and Artistic Heritage (Pronare, 1995) and its formal creation in 1997, organizing itself into four specialized areas: Historical Archive, Library, Photo Library, and Map Library.
Currently, CEDIF faces two strategic challenges: the digital transition, through the implementation of a repository using the open-source software Tainacan to ensure open access; and the secondary transfer of 10.4 linear kilometers of documents still in the custody of FNM in Liquidation, in accordance with the General Archives Law.
Recognized by the AGN’s National Archives Registry and by Memory of the World Mexico-UNESCO, CEDIF is a leading authority on railway historiography and a key player in the integration of heritage preservation, collective memory, and public policy in the post-privatization railway sector. PDF

Solange Godoy (National University of San Martín / CONICET) and Luisina Agostini (CONICET / ISHIR / UNR).
Railway enthusiasts and the preservation of railway heritage following privatization in Argentina.

In Argentina, between the 1950s and the 1990s, national governments placed the “railway problem” on the political and public agenda in order to address measures aimed at streamlining and privatizing the system. This situation raises questions about the railway heritage.
In this paper, we will examine the transformations brought about by the privatization process in Argentina in the 1990s from the perspective of two associations dedicated to the conservation and stewardship of railway heritage. These are: the Asociación Amigos del Riel, located in the city of Rosario, Province of Santa Fe, and the Asociación Amigos del Ferrocarril Belgrano (Line G), Province of Buenos Aires.
We will identify the practices and meanings these associations bring to their heritage preservation activities. We will delve into how, why, and for what purpose they “protect” and/or “preserve” heritage, examining the tensions between these concepts. We will explain the alliances and conflicts that arise between those responsible for preserving the railway’s material and cultural heritage and other institutional and social actors.
Using a qualitative methodology, we have compiled a corpus of interviews with association members, which we have integrated with written documents and photographs. We have also gathered the discourses constructed and disseminated on social media. PDF

Guillermo Guajardo Soto (National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM)).
Background and debates surrounding the privatization of the Chilean State Railway Company, ca. 1863–1992.

In 1992, the democratic government that took power in Chile following the civil-military dictatorship (1973–1990) succeeded in reaching a consensus in parliament on something the military regime had been unable to accomplish: privatizing the freight services of the State Railway Company (EFE), an entity that, since its creation in 1884, had developed into a north-south network connecting to the main ports, and which by the mid-20th century monopolized a large portion of the services, with the exception of a private line between the port of Antofagasta and Bolivia. By 1990, it had a network of just over 6,000 kilometers, and in 1992, with the enactment of Law 19170, it became subject to the financial, accounting, and tax regulations governing publicly traded corporations, leading to the creation of freight subsidiaries whose shares were sold to two companies: one in the central and southern regions of the country to operate on 1,676-mm gauge tracks, and another in the north to operate on metric-gauge tracks. EFE remained in charge of passenger services and the administration of the railway between the port of Arica and Bolivia.
This has been explained as part of the deepening of neoliberalism brought about by the democratic transition, which applied the principle of subsidiarity left by the dictatorship in 1990 as a constitutional norm shortly before it left power. In contrast to that approach, this paper develops an argument that the proposals to privatize, lease, and transfer state services to private capital had been debated long before the dictatorship. The paper presents an overview of the debates and the set of technocratic prescriptions prior to the dictatorship, those implemented by the regime, and those that continued under democracy. These debates began in the mid-19th century within the political elite and the technocracy regarding the dilemmas and benefits of the Chilean state’s business activities in the railways. In the 20th century, they intensified due to the problems posed by a state monopoly that was technologically and logistically obsolete compared to road transport, and required a political consensus for its reform. Beginning in 1973, the dictatorship addressed this economic, technological, and territorial complexity through the gradual dismantling of EFE. By 1987, the conditions were established to begin partial privatization, involving the creation of subsidiaries, the sale of assets and properties, and the reduction of passenger services, thereby bringing an end to a century of national railway integration. ▼

Leonor Eugenia Reyes Pavón (Institute of Historical Research, National Autonomous University of Mexico).
The Ferrocarriles Unidos del Sureste collection at the AGEY (1963–1989), for the study of the railway prior to privatization.

During the 20th century, the history of railways on the Yucatán Peninsula revolved around two major projects: the peninsular network of Ferrocarriles Unidos de Yucatán, the result of the merger—between 1902 and 1908—of private companies that formed the state railway network; and the Ferrocarril del Sureste (Coatzacoalcos-Campeche), whose construction began in the 1930s and was inaugurated in 1950 as a federal project intended to link the peninsula with the rest of the country.
In 1968, a presidential decree integrated both networks by transferring the FS line to Ferrocarriles Unidos de Yucatán and creating Ferrocarriles Unidos del Sureste (FUS), under majority state control. The process of nationalizing the rail network intensified with the administrative reorganization of 1977, which centralized the management of several railway companies, and culminated in 1986 with a decree that transferred the assets and operations of various state-owned enterprises, including FUS, to Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México. These milestones demonstrate how the state strengthened its control over the railways in the decades leading up to the 1998 privatization, when the company was dismantled and its assets fragmented.
This presentation aims to introduce the documentary collection (1963–1989) of Ferrocarriles Unidos del Sureste housed in the General Archive of the State of Yucatán, comprising 1,206 files divided into various administrative, technical, legal, and operational sections. The potential of the collection for the study of railway integration, state administration of transportation in the southeast, and the changes prior to privatization will be demonstrated, within the context of the regional dynamics of peninsular development in the second half of the 20th century. PDF

Débora Ascencio ([CITRA] Center for Workers’ Innovation – [CCT CABA SUR] CONICET Science and Technology Center – CABA SUR – [CONICET] National Scientific and Technical Research Council).
Argentine Railways and State Restrictions as a Prelude to Privatization, 1976–1989.

This study analyzes the decline of Ferrocarriles Argentinos (FA) during the 1970s and 1980s, which served as a prelude to the wave of privatizations in the 1990s. Based on empirical research using official documents, company annual reports, and sources from the General Inspectorate of Public Enterprises (SIGEP), this study reconstructs the main guidelines of railway policy between 1976 and 1989, within the broader context of the Argentine state’s withdrawal from the economy.
Unlike other public enterprises where expansionist strategies coexisted with peripheral privatization dynamics, FA systematically implemented a policy of state-imposed constraints, aimed at reducing its operational capacity, territorial coverage, and transport volume. This process had its roots in the 1961 Larkin Plan, but was reactivated and intensified to unprecedented levels by the dictatorship that began in 1976, with partial continuity during the democratic government of Raúl Alfonsín (1983–1989). Notable concrete manifestations of this include: the closure of “uneconomical” branch lines, the shutting down of stations and workshops, the elimination of low-usage passenger services, and a sharp reduction in railway investment.
The analysis shows that this strategy did not respond to a sustainable restructuring plan, but rather to a fiscally driven rationalization, without a long-term horizon. Far from improving efficiency, it laid the groundwork to justify its subsequent privatization under the pretext of state failure. We thus propose interpreting the FA case as a key element for understanding the institutional and narrative mechanisms that enabled the wave of privatization that reshaped Argentine rail transport.
The study also allows us to draw broader lessons regarding the state’s withdrawal from rail systems in Ibero-America and to critically rethink the meanings attributed to public inefficiency in structural reform processes. PDF

Arturo Valencia Islas (National Autonomous University of Mexico).
The Restructuring and Modernization of the Mexican Railway System between 1982 and 1995.

Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México was the dominant company within the Mexican railway system from its founding in 1908 until its breakup and privatization in 1995. Although the company suffered from numerous operational, labor, and financial problems throughout the 20th century, its situation worsened even further with the 1982 crisis due to its total dependence on government subsidies, which left it at the mercy of the ups and downs of public finances. In an effort to reorganize its finances, various restructuring programs were implemented throughout the 1980s aimed at reducing operating expenses and increasing revenue from its most profitable services.
Despite the good intentions expressed in these restructuring plans, the results were very limited. By the late 1980s, the lack of maintenance and investment had led the Mexican National Railways to a state of advanced deterioration, which was reflected in the condition of the tracks—81% required rehabilitation work—and the rolling stock, as well as in a sustained decline in its share of freight traffic.
To overcome these conditions and revitalize rail service in the country, the government of Carlos Salinas de Gortari proposed relaxing the legal framework to allow private investment in the rail sector. Once again, the inadequacy of these measures and a new crisis that erupted in 1994 served as justification for the Ernesto Zedillo administration to privatize the entire rail system.

Francisco Polo Muriel (Spanish Railway Foundation).
The evolution of railways in Latin America over the past thirty years (1995–2025) as reflected in their operational indicators.

The Spanish Railways Foundation (FFE), under the scientific direction of historian Jesús Sanz Fernández, launched the project “Ibero-American Railways: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow," which bore fruit in 1998 with the publication of the works: History of the Railways of Ibero-America (1837–1995) and Historical Guide to the Railways of Ibero-America (1837–1995). Today, through the FFE’s Railway History Program, the project focuses its efforts on keeping data regarding the census of Ibero-American railway companies up to date and collecting documentation on privatizations, the enactment of new laws, the creation of new companies, the construction of new lines, and key railway statistical indicators.
On the occasion of this session, the FFE’s Railway History Program aims to present an overview of the railway situation in Ibero-America, reflecting the evolution recorded over the last thirty years, through statistical data published by the respective national railway administrations. This also aims to update the historical railway statistics database—FerroAmlat—created by the FFE in 1998 and available for free access at https://docutren.com/EstadisticasHistoricas/ferroamlat/ PDF

Fernando Guida Bria (National University of Rosario, Argentina).
From the dismantling to the privatization of Ferrocarriles Argentinos. An overview of the process of dismantling the Argentine railway system (1960–1995).

The purpose of this paper is to present an overview and critical analysis of research conducted on policies aimed at streamlining, downsizing, and privatizing the railway system in Argentina,
The privatization and fragmentation of the Ferrocarriles Argentinos company (FF.AA.) took place through the concession of services to the private sector in the 1990s, within the framework of a structural reform of the state under the government of Carlos S. Menem, which focused on the privatization of public enterprises.
The intensification of neoliberal policies in Argentina led to a widespread wave of privatizations. Although FF.AA. was not the only company privatized, in this presentation we aim to identify the specific characteristics of the sector and examine the historical process of service rationalization that can be traced back to the 1960s. Thus, the 1990s appear as the culmination of this process, which resulted in the dismantling of the railway system in our country.
In this presentation, we will provide an overview and critical analysis of studies addressing the causes, procedures, and effects of privatization policy in Argentina. The review of these works and their critical synthesis will focus on several key areas: neoliberalism in Argentina and privatization; studies on railway regulation plans, examining the historical process dating back to the 1960s and the subsequent concessioning in the 1990s; the legitimization strategies used to implement it, its socio-territorial impact, and its effect on railway identity; and the experiences of organization and struggle within the railway workers’ sector.
Furthermore, this work does not merely aim to provide a critical review of previous research on the railway, but also to identify gaps and opportunities for further study of the railway sector in Argentina. PDF

Jaime de Jesús Paredes Camacho (University of Deusto).
The historical impact of the 1997 concessions as a precursor to the right to use Mexico’s railway infrastructure.

This paper highlights the importance of assessing the history of Mexico’s public rail service since the 1997 government administrative reform, which shifted its status from a strategic activity to a priority one. It does so by examining statistical indicators of the service provided by Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México to users and its impact on international trade.
It emphasizes the historical importance of how legislation reinforced the railway infrastructure with the sole purpose of ensuring its utility, particularly for the years of service to come, as it was fundamental to the development of foreign trade.
From there, the study historically analyzes two groups of recipients of the Public Railway Service: a) users, facing issues such as: competitive rates, service frequency, feedback to the granting authority, equal service among concessionaires and assignees, cargo security, diverse services, delays and non-existent charges, lack of use of exchange rules, among others; b) non-users or those who ceased to be users: due to fares, service, inclusion, lack of public infrastructure, maintenance, and cargo promotion, among others. It proposes, from a systems theory perspective, a historical reference for current utility.
It also opens the door to analytical discussion regarding disused infrastructure—that is, why it ceased to be used and the possibility of its new utility.
Finally, it provides elements for research and academic dissemination in the fields analyzed.  PDF

Jaciara Azevedo Rodrigues (Brazilian Committee for the Conservation of Industrial Heritage, TICCIH) and Telma Bessa (Vale do Acaraú State University).
Sales, the Federal Railway Network Corporation (RFFSA: a symbol of modernity in northeastern Brazil?).

Since its inception, the railroad system in northeastern Brazil has alternated between state and private control, and was even operated by foreign companies at one point. The first railroad, the Estrada de Ferro Mauá (1854), was built with British financing and technology, which brought in foreign engineers and introduced private concession models. For several years, foreign companies, such as the Railway Company, managed sections of the railroad in Brazil.
According to the official website of the National Department of Transport Infrastructure (DNIT), Red Ferroviaria Federal S.A. (RFFSA) was created by Law No. 3,115 of March 16, 1957, through the consolidation of 18 regional railways, promoting greater control over rail transport in the country. With its creation, the railways in the Northeast were nationalized, although many railway bridges and other structures still relied on imported tools and technologies. However, over the years, the investment strategy shifted, and highway construction became the primary focus and priority, especially starting in the 1960s, during the administration of President Juscelino Kubitschek.
With the progress of the privatization of RFFSA and the consequent decommissioning of branch lines and removal of rails, the Brazilian reality contrasts with that of other countries, which continue to invest heavily in railway expansion and keep pace with technological globalization. This study aims to analyze and draw an analogy between the development of railways in other countries—marked by continued investment and technological modernization—and the Brazilian reality, characterized by stagnation and the progressive dismantling of the railway system. The bibliographic analysis will be complemented by the Oral History methodology, incorporating narrators who lived through the decades of RFFSA’s operation. Additionally, documentary sources produced on the subject and available on YouTube will be used. PDF

Carlos Sottorff-Neculhueque (University of Santiago, Chile).
Privatization Before Privatization: The Chilean State Railway Company Facing the Process of Piecemeal Privatization in a Neoliberal Economy, 1973–1990.

The following study aims to identify and analyze the set of administrative, commercial, and technical actions and decisions that General Augusto Pinochet’s civil-military dictatorship considered regarding railway operations in Chile from the mid-1970s until its final days in 1990. As a consequence of the new political system implemented in the country, proposals put forward by neoliberal economists advocating for broad deregulation of the economy in general were openly considered. In this context, the State Railway Company was subjected to various initiatives or “plans” that sought not only to reduce or limit its role as the backbone of the national transportation system, but also to capitalize on the vast tangible assets it possessed to initiate what could be termed a piecemeal privatization. Citing economic and administrative efficiency, the first transitional initiative— rationalization (1975)—was proposed as a preliminary stage to a second phase of deepening deregulatory measures. The core of this stage was the intensive effort to reduce the company’s operations and increase its level of indebtedness. Once the first phase was consolidated, the next proposal—dubbed “self-financing” (1979)—was rolled out, aiming to become the definitive blueprint for the national railways, beyond merely suspending the government’s financial contributions to the company. At the same time, the railway industry itself once again suffered operational setbacks and was compelled to submit to the market-driven conditions of equity, weakening its transport services and continually seeking new ways to sustain itself financially. Thus, by the second half of the 1980s, the company found itself in a critical state, underfunded and continually resorting to the sale of assets to stay afloat, leaving the field open for the long-awaited definitive privatization sought by certain economic groups and the political class. PDF