Bus line 53 in Buenos Aires: route, stops and timetable

Line 53 links La Boca, in the south of the city, with José C. Paz, in the north-west of the suburbs. It is one of the longest routes in the AMBA: about 54 km through Constitución, Boedo, Flores, the west of the city and the districts of Tres de Febrero, Morón, Hurlingham and San Miguel. This colectivo (city bus) is run by Línea 213 S.A. de Transporte and, according to SUBE open data, it records about 49,300 trips on a typical weekday in August and September 2026. Since Resolution 801/2024 it has had only two routes: the regular A and the B motorway express, which many people search for as “53 rápido” (fast 53).

Bus 53 route

Both ramales (branches) have the same termini: the depot at Irala 715, in La Boca, and the site at Av. José Altube and General Pinto, in José C. Paz. What changes is the route inside the city and the number of stops.

Regular line 53: branch A

The 53A leaves La Boca via Benito Quinquela Martín, Av. Don Pedro de Mendoza, Av. Almirante Brown, Martín García and Defensa, and reaches Plaza Constitución. From there it heads west along Carlos Calvo, Av. Pedro Goyena, Av. Juan Bautista Alberdi and Av. Rivadavia, where it uses the bus lanes of the Flores Transfer Centre. It continues along Av. Nazca, Av. Gaona, Av. Álvarez Jonte and Av. Lope de Vega until it crosses Av. General Paz.

Once in the province it takes Av. Marcelo T. de Alvear and Ruta Provincial 201, passes Estación El Palomar, the Túnel Matienzo and Av. Teniente General Julio A. Roca, continues past Estación Capitán Lozano and along Av. Pablo Riccheri, and enters José C. Paz along Av. Ricardo Balbín (Ruta 23), Av. Gaspar Campos and Av. José Altube. On the return trip, in the city, it uses a section of the Metrobús Juan B. Justo before going back to the Flores Transfer Centre. It stops at every stop on the route and is the branch to take for any intermediate point.

Fast line 53 via the motorway: branch B

The word “rápido” (fast) does not appear in the official resolution: the only express service on the 53 is the 53B, via Autopista 25 de Mayo (AU1). It leaves La Boca, passes Plaza Constitución and joins the Autopista 25 de Mayo via Bernardo de Irigoyen. It uses the Metrobús AU 25 de Mayo lane to the Avellaneda toll plaza, continues along the Autopista Perito Moreno (AU6) and comes off at General Paz. Between Constitución and Av. Lope de Vega it neither picks up nor drops off passengers. In the province it rejoins the A’s route, via El Palomar and Capitán Lozano, but with more sections without stops in Tres de Febrero, Morón, Hurlingham and San Miguel. It covers about 53 km.

The rule for choosing is simple: if you are going from La Boca or Constitución to the General Paz area or beyond, at rush hour on a weekday, the B avoids all the traffic in Boedo and Flores. If you need to get off anywhere in the city between Constitución and General Paz, or you are travelling at the weekend, take the A.

Timetable and frequency

Resolution 801/2024 states that the regular service, branch A, runs 24 hours a day. At rush hour it must run at intervals of between 5 and 7 minutes. The B express runs only on weekdays, from 6:00 to 12:00 towards La Boca and from 15:00 to 21:00 towards José C. Paz, with a rush-hour interval of between 14.5 and 20.5 minutes. There is no official published timetable per branch, so we do not give exact times.

SUBE data show how demand drops at weekends: about 49,300 trips on a weekday, 29,600 on a Saturday and 14,500 on a Sunday. If you are travelling on a Sunday or at night, allow for a longer wait and check the next bus in the BA Cómo Llego app.

What has changed on line 53 since 2024

Until a few years ago the 53 had several more branches: La Boca – San Miguel, La Boca – Estación El Palomar, La Boca – Av. Nazca and Rivadavia, and express services leaving from Plaza Constitución. With Resolution 801/2024, published in the Boletín Oficial on 28 August 2024, the line was left with only two routes, both between La Boca and José C. Paz. If an app or an old map shows “53 San Miguel”, “53 El Palomar” or “53 Nazca”, that information is out of date. The line is still under national jurisdiction: it was not one of the lines transferred to the City in 2026.

Main stops and connections

Plaza Constitución is the main connection point on the route: both branches pass through it, and it connects with the Roca train and subte (metro) line C. In Flores, the A uses the bus lanes of the Flores Transfer Centre on Av. Rivadavia, where many other lines stop. In the province, both branches pass Estación El Palomar, on the San Martín line, and Estación Capitán Lozano.

Operator, phone and complaints

Line 53 is a national-jurisdiction line run by Línea 213 S.A. de Transporte, overseen by the Comisión Nacional de Regulación del Transporte (CNRT). To complain about frequency, a bus that did not stop or poor service, call 0800-333-0300 or use the form at control.cnrt.gob.ar. Note the line, branch, time and, if possible, the vehicle number. Strikes are called by the UTA (bus drivers’ union) and usually affect all lines in the AMBA; to find out whether the 53 is running today, check the day’s news and the line’s official accounts.

The fare is paid only with SUBE and depends on distance. From October 2026, with a registered card, it costs $742.81 up to 3 km, $861.66 for 3 to 6 km, $1,002.80 for 6 to 12 km, $1,151.36 for 12 to 27 km and $1,337.06 over 27 km. Unregistered, you pay double. As the full route is over 27 km, an end-to-end trip pays the highest fare.

Tips for riding bus 53

• Before boarding at Constitución, check whether it says B: it does not stop anywhere in the city until Av. Lope de Vega.
• The fast 53 runs only Monday to Friday, in the morning towards La Boca and in the afternoon towards José C. Paz. Outside those time slots, take the A.
• At night and on Sundays there is much less service: check BA Cómo Llego before you leave.
• Use a registered SUBE card: on a long trip like this one, unregistered, you pay double the top fare.