Better connectivity, shorter travel time and more comfort: that is what the new train between Santiago and Chillán, the most modern in South America, offers. Inaugurated in 2024 by EFE Trenes de Chile (EFE Central), this service represents a significant leap in the quality of public transportation in the country.
They are six trains manufactured in China by CRRC Sifang, with bimodal technology, i.e., they can run on electricity or diesel. Each can accommodate 238 seated passengers and can reach speeds of up to 160 km/h (100 mph). In addition, they offer a renewed travel experience with universal accessibility, adapted toilets, reclining seats, cafeteria, screens with real-time information, etc.
This new service is part of the Trains for Chile Plan, an ambitious public policy that seeks to modernize the country's railway network, improve connectivity and make train travel once again a comfortable, fast and sustainable option. Thanks to this initiative, the section between Chillán and Santiago can be traveled in only 3 hours and 40 minutes in its express version, and 4 hours and 5 minutes in the regular service.
Chile as a regional reference
"This train, the most modern in South America, has very special characteristics. For example, the maximum speed it reaches, which undoubtedly improves the conditions and travel times that a service like this can offer," said Mabel Leva, president of EFE Central."It is a leap forward in terms of our country's modernity, in terms of where we want to go and also in terms of sustainability and comfort for our country's citizens and visitors," she added.
The initiative also includes the improvement of 10 stations in key cities such as Rancagua, Talca, Linares and Chillán, as well as the construction of a new maintenance workshop. The total investment is US$ 70 million.
The service began operations in March 2024, and is projected to have carried 500,000 passengers by the end of this year, with the goal of reaching 800,000 passengers annually once it is operating at full capacity.
"The modernization of public transportation that Chile is promoting improves people's quality of life and reinforces our commitment to sustainable development. It is an advance that projects the country as a regional reference. This train represents the Chile we want to show to the world: a modern country that invests in connectivity and puts innovation at the service of its people," said María Teresa Saldías Morales, executive director of Imagen de Chile.
141 years connecting Chile
Founded in 1884, EFE Trenes de Chile is the oldest public company in the country. Today it has a project portfolio of over US$ 8 billion, including the new Biobío railway bridge, the Melipilla-Alameda train, Quinta Normal-Batuco, the Limache-Quillota-La Calera project and the modernization of the Chillán-Alameda service, a development that also aims to triple the number of passengers transported by 2031 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2035.
"People, in general, were very nostalgic about the trains and this is a leap that makes us feel how our country is moving forward. It is a sign that fills us with pride and we also feel it in our passengers, that we want to keep moving forward and have more trains for Chile," said Leva.
