Buenos Aires Metro

The Buenos Aires Metro (Spanish: Subterráneo de Buenos Aires) (locally known as Subte - - from "subterráneo" -underground or subterranean-) is a mass-transit system that serves the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The first station of this network opened in 1913, the first of its kind in Latin America, the Southern Hemisphere and the entire Spanish-speaking world. It is one of the busiest metro systems in the world.

The network expanded rapidly during the early decades of the 20^th century, but the pace of expansion fell sharply after the Second World War. In the late 1990s expansion resumed, with the planning of four new lines. However, the rate of expansion is largely exceeded by the transportation needs of the city and once again the network has become overcrowded.

At present, Buenos Aires is the only Argentine city with a metro system, but there is a project to build an underground system in the city of Córdoba (Córdoba Metro).

History

Discussions on the need to build an underground transportation system in Buenos Aires began in the late nineteenth century, alongside the tramway system. They operated from 1870 and in about 1900 were in a crisis exacerbated by the monopolization of the companies, a process initiated against the electrification of the system.

In this context, the first proposals for the building of an underground system were made, along with requests for government...
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