CHILE: President Gabriel Boric announced on June 1 that regional train services are to be introduced in three regions under the Trenes de Cercanía 30/30 programme.
A service is to be launched in June over the 29·6 km between Temuco and Pitrufquén in the La Araucanía region. It would be operated by one multiple-unit. End-to-end travel time would be 41 min.
Other planned services include Curicó – Linares via Talca. This 114·7 km long route is part of the electrified main line that connects the capital with Chillán. Three EMUs would be deployed to give an end-to-end journey time of 1 h 21 min.
The third launch in the Los Lagos region will be a service over a 27·4 km long route linking Llanquihue with Puerto Montt via Puerto Varas. This would use three multiple-units; journey time would be 37 min.
The president has also said that a pre-feasibility study is underway for completion within two years into the upgrading and electrification of the line that connects Chillán with the port of Concepción. This would enable Santiago to Chillán long-distance inter-city trains to be extended to Concepción; the end-to-end journey time from the capital would be around 5 h.
