Santiago metro expansion plans advance

Plans to expand Santiago’s Metro system moved ahead as the country’s social development ministry (MDSF) approved the financing for the feasibility studies for lines No. 8 and 9.

According to documents, the studies for the 18.7km line No. 8 will cost 41mn pesos (US$57,322) and take 18 months.

This line will connect the districts of Puente Alto and Providencia and have 14 stations. Three stations would have interconnections with lines No. 4, No. 3, No. 1 and No. 6.

The study for the 16.8km line No. 9 will cost nearly 40mn pesos (US$55,118) and also take 18 months.

This line will connect Santiago Center and La Pintana district and have 12 stations, four of which with interconnections.

However, the ministry objected to financing for the extension of line No. 4, saying Metro de Santiago didn’t provide an analysis of alternatives to its design and did not justify the 10mn-peso budget for the feasibility studies.

OTHER RAIL PROJECTS

The ministry is also reviewing rolling stock purchases for the Santiago-Nos and the Santiago-Rancagua rail services, both run by state owned rail firm EFE.

It rejected EFE’s plans to buy 10 electric rail cars to reduce overcrowding for the former, saying the company did not explain how the deal would improve frequency.

A decision to buy eight trains for the Santiago-Rancagua service remains pending as the proposal was submitted to the investment system only on August 22.