Central Station (Buenos Aires)


The Central Station was a railway station of Buenos Aires, terminus of all the railway lines existing by then and owned by the Buenos Aires and Ensenada Port Railway. The station, located on the corner of Paseo de Julio Avenue and Piedad street, operated from 1872 to 1897. The building was a wood structure, that had a mansard roof and a little tower with a clock and a dome on the top.

History

By August 1872 all the railway companies operating in Argentina signed an agreement for a common use of Central Station, which was owned by BA&E railway by then. The station had a platform over the main track and other two. Its structure also included two coffeehouses and two ladies rooms. Trains arrived from the South through a viaduct made of iron, that extended from Casa Amarilla station to Victoria street. The route of the viaduct would be later used to build the Paseo Colón Avenue.
The building, built in wood, was brought from Great Britain by entrepreneur William Wheelwright, although it had been originally built to be used in India. The use of the station was shared by five railway companies, BA & Ensenada, BA Western, BA & Pacific, BA & Rosario, BA & Northern and Central Argentine.
with the passengers dock and customs entrance.
To facilitate access to Central Station, the Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway built a small joint branch from Barracas station to Tres Esquinas station.
When Central Station was opened, tracks run alongside Río de la Plata. the Aduana Taylor was placed at the South. When the Port of Buenos Aires was inaugurated in 1897, BA&E's tracks blocked the lands and access to the port, therefore many people opposed to railway transit across the city of Buenos Aires. The station served as terminus not only for BA & Ensenada but for other railways such as BA Western, BA & Rosario and BA & Northern.
On February 14, 1897, the station was completely destroyed by fire. Next day, the company built some wood shacks to sell tickets as a replacement of the destroyed station, but they were removed by the Government of the city. Railway companies existing by then had to leave the place, moving to Retiro station, where they have remained until present days.
As a result, BA&E established Venezuela station as terminus, although shortly after it was moved to Casa Amarilla. On March 19 the National Government ordered to remove all tracks from Casa Amarilla to Retiro, also forbidding Central Station was reconstructed. Finally, on July 1, the line was closed.
During the 1890s the National Government considered to move the Central Station to Puerto Madero although it was never carried out.