The suburban railway network in the Valparaíso region of Chile is set to expand with the extension of the Valparaíso – Limache train line.
SYSTRA has been appointed to design the project for Empresa de Ferrocarriles del Estado (EFE), Chile’s national railway company.
The expansion aims to improve connectivity, encourage a shift towards public transport, and reduce travel times for residents.
The expansion will see the railway line double in length. The old La Calera station will be repurposed, and the new stations will be made accessible for passengers with reduced mobility. Additionally, solar panels will be installed to generate photovoltaic energy.
The project forms part of Chile’s broader efforts to enhance sustainable transport options and meet growing demand for efficient urban mobility. By providing an alternative to road transport, the initiative is expected to contribute to reduced congestion and lower emissions in the region.
Alexandre Alves, Project Director, SYSTRA Chile said:This is a project that will have positive impacts on passenger safety, the decongestion of road axes, the reduction of pollutant emissions and the time spent commuting to work, but also on the accessibility of transport.
SYSTRA will undertake the project in collaboration with Consultores de Ingenieria (CDI), an Italian engineering firm specialising in civil infrastructure. Engineering, civil works, and railway systems will be designed using a Building Information Modelling (BIM) approach. Several teams from SYSTRA’s international network will contribute expertise to the project.
Hervé Laurain, Director of the Hispanic America Cluster, SYSTRA said:We are pleased to have been selected for this project, which will make a concrete contribution to improving the lives of residents. It is a source of pride to support EFE and the transformation of transport in Chile, a historic country for SYSTRA.
The project aligns with Chile’s national railway strategy, ‘Trains for Chile,’ launched in 2019. The initiative seeks to increase annual rail passenger numbers from 50 million to 150 million by 2027, alongside boosting rail freight capacity.
