The contract was signed between Hopkins and Governor of Buenos Aires, Valentín Alsina, committing to build a horse-drawn railway that departed from Aduana Nueva (Paseo de Julio and Victoria) to Retiro where it transfer to a steam train, continuing the trip to Fernando, with several stops in Belgrano and San Isidro stations.

Works began in Retiro, and shortly after that, more precisely in December 1862, the line to "Valentín Alsina" station (today "Belgrano C") was inaugurated.

Despite having requested an extension of the line to Zárate, the BANR would not build any track until it was transferred to Central Argentine Railway in 1889.

The San Fernando Canal branch was finally closed in the 1970s and most of the rail tracks removed by Ferrocarriles Argentinos, the operator by then.

Soon after the BA&E moved again to Casa Amarilla in La Boca district, therefore the iron viaduct that crossed the city fell into disuse, being subsequently demolished.