Chile adds underground line to US$1.55bn rail project

Chile’s state-owned rail firm EFE has submitted an environmental impact assessment (EIA) for a US$250mn modification to the Melipilla-Santiago railway, which will entail turning a 3.5km section of the 61km line into an underground tunnel.  

The tunnel would run between the Estación Central 2 and Alameda stations in Santiago. 

The EIA also states that the Alameda station will now be underground and that three bridges will now left out of the project because of the change to the line, according to the EIA submitted to environmental evaluation service SEA.

Construction on the US$1.55bn line began in August and is expected to be completed by 2026, while works on the underground tunnel would start in June 2022. 

Earlier this month EFE launched a US$100mn tender to purchase 22 new trains for the service. This rolling stock contract is expected to be awarded by next May.