 In 1900 two British-owned companies were operating railways in Patagonia; the Central Chubut metre gauge, , line between Puerto Madryn and Trelew and the Buenos Aires Great Southern broad gauge line between Bahía Blanca and Neuquén.During the presidency of José Figueroa Alcorta, the Argentine government devised a plan in 1908 to populate Patagonia by constructing two additional broad gauge, , railway lines in that part of the country.The first line one was to run from San Antonio Oeste, in Rio Negro Territory (later to become Rio Negro Province), via Valcheta to Nahuel Huapi Lake, and the second from Puerto Deseado via Colonia San Martín to a junction with the first line.