Ferroviaria Oriental S.A.

Ferroviaria Oriental S.A. is a Bolivian integrated logistics and railway company headquartered in Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Its name means "Eastern Railway," and in Bolivia the term is also used to refer to the country's eastern rail network. The company operates approximately 1,244 kilometres of metre-gauge track in the eastern and southern lowlands of Bolivia, connecting the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra with Argentina via Yacuiba–Pocitos, with Brazil via Puerto Suárez–Quijarro–Corumbá, and northward to Warnes and Montero. The network comprises 643 km in the eastern sector, 539 km in the southern sector, and 62 km in the northern sector of the department. The company provides both freight and passenger services. Its principal freight corridor runs from Santa Cruz to Puerto Quijarro on the Río Paraguay, where goods are transshipped to and from barges, giving landlocked Bolivia duty-free access to the Atlantic Ocean. Main cargoes include soybeans, petroleum products, and industrial imports from Brazil. Through connections with the Brazilian operator Rumo and Argentina's Belgrano Cargas, the network reaches the Atlantic ports of Santos and Paranaguá in Brazil and Buenos Aires and Rosario in Argentina; via the Paraguay–Paraná waterway it also reaches Nueva Palmira in Uruguay, and via the Salta–Socompa pass it can access Antofagasta in Chile. Ferroviaria Oriental markets itself as an integrated logistics provider serving the petrochemical, industrial, mining, agricultural, and hydrocarbons sectors. Passenger services on the Santa Cruz–Quijarro route include a daily regional train and a six-times-weekly express service alternating between the "Expreso Oriental" (conventional carriages in various classes) and the "Ferrobus" (a higher-comfort railcar). All passenger trains run overnight, with scheduled journey times of 13.5 hours (Ferrobus) to 19 hours (regional). A mixed passenger-freight train runs three times weekly toward Argentina. The eastern Bolivian network was operated by the state company Empresa Nacional de Ferrocarriles del Estado (ENFE) until 1995, when it was privatised and Ferroviaria Oriental S.A. was created. Initially 50% was held by Bolivian pension funds and 50% by the North American railway company Genesee & Wyoming Inc., which sold its stake on 29 September 2009 for US$3.9 million. As of 30 June 2021 the main shareholders were Trenes Continentales S.A. (50%) and the pension funds BBVA Previsión AFP S.A. and Futuro de Bolivia S.A. (24.96% each), with the remaining 0.08% held by individual shareholders. Trenes Continentales was in turn majority-owned by Chilean companies Transportes Ferroviarios (40.62%) and BTG Pactual Chile (27.08%), and Bolivian GWB Inversiones (22.59%). Ferroviaria Oriental presents itself as offering certified quality, smart solutions for large cargo volumes, international operations, and multimodal transport expertise, with the slogan "Connecting Bolivia with the world."

The eastern Bolivian railway network was built to connect the landlocked country's eastern lowlands to the Atlantic via the Río Paraguay. Until 1995 it was operated by the state-owned Empresa Nacional de Ferrocarriles del Estado (ENFE). In 1995 the network was privatised and the newly created Ferroviaria Oriental S.A. took over operations. At that time 50% of the company was held by Bolivian pension funds and 50% by the North American railway company Genesee & Wyoming Inc., and Ferroviaria Oriental also presented itself in Genesee & Wyoming's corporate design. On 29 September 2009 Genesee & Wyoming sold its 50% participation for US$3.9 million, ending foreign railway-operator ownership. As of 30 June 2021 the company had three main shareholders: Trenes Continentales S.A. with 50% of the shares, and the pension funds BBVA Previsión AFP S.A. and Futuro de Bolivia S.A. with 24.96% each; the remaining 0.08% belonged to individual shareholders. Trenes Continentales was at that time in turn majority-owned by the Chilean companies Transportes Ferroviarios (40.62%) and BTG Pactual Chile (27.08%), and the Bolivian GWB Inversiones (22.59%). In 2006 Ferroviaria Oriental transported approximately 500,000 passengers and 1.4 million tonnes of freight. By 2007 the fleet included 28 diesel-electric locomotives and about 750 freight wagons, most locomotives being General Electric types U10B (450 kW) and U20C (1,500 kW), alongside some locomotives from General Motors and Hitachi, German-built railcars with trailers, and four passenger train sets. Argentine and Brazilian wagons are also used in cross-border freight traffic. Operationally, the company uses the North American Track Warrant Control system to ensure railway safety: each train movement is authorised for specific network sections by a dispatcher via radio, with simultaneous entry into a computer system that prevents conflicting authorities. As with many American railway companies, fixed timetables exist only for passenger trains; all freight trains run on demand. The network's operational centre is Santa Cruz de la Sierra. The 651 km line runs via San José in the Chiquitanía Jesuit mission area and Roboré to Puerto Quijarro on the Río Paraguay, continuing to Corumbá in Brazil, where it connects to the Brazilian metre-gauge network of América Latina Logística. Several sidings serve port facilities on the Río Paraguay near Quijarro. A second main line runs 539 km south from Santa Cruz to Yacuiba on the Argentine border. A third line runs north from Santa Cruz via Warnes to Montero, only 63 km away; a further 138 km to Yapacaní is disused. All lines are single-track, with extensive industrial sidings in and around Santa Cruz. Although various plans existed to link the eastern network with the metre-gauge network of the Bolivian highlands, this was never realised, leaving Bolivia's railway system as two sub-networks that were connected only through neighbouring Argentina. As of 2022 the tracks in Argentina's Jujuy province were largely impassable. Under the South American Transcontinental Railway project, a direct connection of the networks could become possible once completed. Freight traffic is concentrated on the Santa Cruz–Quijarro route, with up to three freight trains per day per direction carrying a maximum of 3,600 tonnes gross. Main goods are soybeans, petroleum products, and various industrial imports from Brazil; soy and oil are largely transshipped to and from ships at Quijarro. Via the Río Paraguay, landlocked Bolivia has duty-free access to the Atlantic Ocean. On the Argentine route a mixed passenger-freight train runs three times weekly, mainly serving smaller towns along the line and trade with Argentina. The short Montero connection serves as a freight feeder and is generally served daily.

• 2021

  As of 30 June, main shareholders were Trenes Continentales S.A. (50%) and pension funds BBVA Previsión AFP S.A. and Futuro de Bolivia S.A. (24.96% each).

• 2009

  On 29 September, Genesee & Wyoming sold its 50% stake for US$3.9 million.

• 2007

  Fleet included 28 diesel-electric locomotives and about 750 freight wagons.

• 2006

  Company transported approximately 500,000 passengers and 1.4 million tonnes of freight.

• 1995

  Eastern Bolivian railway network privatised; Ferroviaria Oriental S.A. created, with 50% held by Bolivian pension funds and 50% by Genesee & Wyoming Inc.

Integrated logistics and railway operator, leader in national and international rail transport and logistics, connecting Bolivia with the world.

• Rail freight transport

  Freight services on the eastern and southern Bolivian network, mainly Santa Cruz–Puerto Quijarro, carrying soybeans, petroleum products, and industrial imports.

• Passenger rail services

  Daily regional train and six-times-weekly express service (Expreso Oriental / Ferrobus) on Santa Cruz–Quijarro; mixed train three times weekly to Argentina.

• Integrated logistics

  Multimodal and international logistics solutions for large cargo volumes, including transshipment at Puerto Quijarro and connections to Atlantic and Pacific ports.

1. 1Home Main - Ferroviaria Orientalfo.com.bo
2. 2Ferroviaria Oriental – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
3. 3Ferroviaria Oriental – Wikidatawikidata.org