Railway strike disrupts train services, leaves 5 million passengers stranded in Buenos Aires

On May 9th, a national strike called by the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) will disrupt train services across the country, leading to a loss of $200 million for Trenes Argentinos. The strike by some unions in the railway sector will affect approximately 1 million people, with metropolitan, regional, and long distance train services being disrupted. In total, at least 6.6 million users will be left without public transport on this day, affecting nearly 5 million passengers in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area alone.

However, despite the disruption, there are more than 2,300 bus units on the streets, with almost 40% of the normal service running. The National Transport Regulation Commission is working on controls to ensure the safety of bus drivers and passengers. Additional units are expected to be deployed in the coming hours.

Outside Buenos Aires, around 1.5 million people in 60 localities across the country that use the SUBE card system will also be deprived of travel due to the strike. Despite this disruption, there are still buses available for those who need them.

In Buenos Aires, however, things are different as metro delegates have joined the strike and this decision affects all subway lines as well as Premetro trains. This marks a significant change in how strikes are handled in Buenos Aires as well as nationwide as companies that do not provide services during strikes will no longer receive government subsidies. Instead of funding these companies coercively through subsidies, the government is now sending a message to unions urging them to allow those who wish to work during strikes to do so while emphasizing worker protection.