the "Estrella del Valle" Train

More than a hundred years ago, the Bahía Blanca - Cipolletti Railway was inaugurated. This project together with the Cordero Dam 15 years later, were the two most important in this century for the region.

Historian Fermín Oreja explains: "The railway stations were the unavoidable reference for the human settlements". For example, Huergo was inaugurated the same day as the station". But in those times neither Huergo nor Villa Regina or Cipolletti existed.

Three long trains with every possible comfort brought the President, Julio Argentino Roca and an entourage of 300 people that included 61 representatives, 13 senators, the members of the Supreme Court, ministers, businessmen, bankers, insurance companies and journalists.

The arrival of the train meant economic progress and was the driving force during decades.

In the thirties, the packing plants of the Argentine Fruit Distributors (AFD), with english capital and connected to the railways, were installed in the railway grounds: Cinco Saltos, Cipolletti, Allen, J.J. Gómez and later Regina to directly deliver the fruit to Buenos Aires

AFD monopolized 80%of the fruit production.

But the train was not only an economic factor, the stations were a place for social gatherings. People used to go for a walk to the station. The Zapala - Constitución train spent the night, as soon as it stopped, people would go to see who was arriving or leaving. It was the right place for boys to talk to the girls. From the thirties to the fifties, it was the town´s social meeting place.

In 1948 Perón nationalized the British railways and the northpatagonean line became known as Ferrocarril Nacional General Roca.

The "Estrella del Valle" went from Zapala to Bahía Blanca three times a week. It carried some 600 passengers in each train.

When in 1966, Route 22 to Bahía Blanca was fully paved, the truck made an appearance with more ductility, speed and lower costs for transporting the fruit. In two years, the truck completely displaced the train. It was the beginning of the end.

In 1993, the railroads - with their inevitable deficit were the first to be privatized by the Menem government. Today, this line is in the hands of Amalita Fortabat and only cargo trains circulate on the tracks.

Most of the stations today are abandoned and remember those days of splendor.

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