[5] In August 1861, Edward Lumb, a British entrepreneur, requested the concession of a railway line that would run from Constitución to the city of Chascomús, 120 km from Buenos Aires.

Juan B. Alberdi stated "The railroad will join the Argentine Republic better than all the congresses... without the 'iron road' that connects their extremes, the country will be always divisible and divided against all the Legislative decrees".

[6] Finally, on May 27, 1862, the Buenos Aires Legislature promulgated the Law that authorized President of Argentina, Bartolomé Mitre, to deal a contract with Edward Lumb.

The Government wanted the railway to cross San Vicente but the land was not in condition to build a line so the route was moved to La Paz (current Lomas de Zamora), where the field was more solid to extend the tracks.

[9] That meant trains had to run at very low speed when crossing Chascomús in order to prevent accidents, generating significant delays.

[4] Chascomús was an intermediate stop of the Buenos Aires to Mar del Plata railroad service.