Fiat-Materfer (Buenos Aires Underground)
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| Fiat-Materfer | |
|---|---|
 Fiat-Materfer at Bolívar station on Line E | |
| In service | 1980-Present |
| Manufacturer | Materfer |
| Built at | Córdoba, Argentina |
| Replaced | Siemens O&K La Brugeoise cars CAF-GEE |
| Constructed | 1980-1997 |
| Entered service | June 1980 |
| Number in service | 95 cars |
| Successor | 300 Series 200 Series |
| Formation | 5-6 cars per trainset |
| Operators | Buenos Aires Underground |
| Lines served |  1980-Present 1980-2018 2008-2017 |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Stainless steel |
| Doors | 4 per side |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) |
The Fiat-Materfer Buenos Aires Underground rolling stock was built by the Argentine company Materfer - then a subsidiary of Fiat Ferroviaria - beginning in 1980 and continuing on through that decade. It was originally conceived to standardise the diverse rolling stock of the Buenos Aires Underground with the use of one model throughout all the lines. However, with the economic and political turmoil faced in the country during and following the collapse of the National Reorganisation Process junta in 1983, its production ended up being far more limited.[1][2] During the 2010s, the cars were used as temporary stock for two lines, being phased out as newer models arrived from overseas.
By the late 1970s, the Buenos Aires Underground had a vast array of ageing rolling stock. This was because the different lines were developed by different companies in different periods. Yet the need for standardisation was becoming apparent given the increased cost of dealing with so many different models. One challenge was the use of 1100 V electrification on Line A (though it was converted to 1500 V in 2013[3]) and 1500 V on other lines, but also the use of third rail on Line B while all others used overhead lines.[2][4]
In 1978, Materfer presented a prototype vehicle which solved the issue of the different voltages by providing a model which could be easily switched between the two voltages, though Line B would remain an independent entity in the underground network. The trains were produced throughout the 1980s for use on Line E, however due to the economic problems in the country at the time, they never attained widespread use on the rest of the network since there was not the funding available to purchase new rolling stock for all the lines.[1][2]
