CHILE: Chilean-Spanish civil works contractor Dragados-Besalco has awarded the consortium of Vinci Construction subsidiary ETF (lead contractor) and Colas Rail a €100m subcontract for the reconstruction of the 21·5 km Malloco – Santiago Lo Errázuriz section of the 61 km Santiago – Melipilla railway to support future suburban rail operations.
The subcontract has a duration of three years and covers the dismantling of existing tracks, providing materials for new track, sleepers, ballast and overhead lines, as well as the commissioning of the suburban railway.
The Malloco –Lo Errázuriz section will be electrified and feature three tracks, two for passenger trains and one for freight.
At Lo Errázuriz, interchange will be provided with Santiago metro Line 6. A one-station extension from Cerrillo to the future interchange is under construction, with completion scheduled for 2027.
Lo Errázuriz – Central-Alameda tunnel bids
EFE announced on September 2 that it had received four bids for the underground section of the Santiago – Melipilla project, linking Lo Errázuriz to the Central-Alameda station complex in the city centre.
Bidders are a consortium of China Road and Bridge Corp, China Railway International Group and China Railway Tunnel Group; a consortium of China Railway Construction Corp, China Railway 22nd Bureau Group and China Railway Construction Electrification Bureau Group; Dragados Besalco Obras Ferroviarias; and Sacyr Chile, the Spanish firm’s Chilean subsidiary. EFE expects to award the contract in October.
The project has an expected value of US$220m and consists of a double-track tunnel and an underground station to be built to serve Santiago’s Central-Alameda complex.
The Santiago – Melipilla line was closed to passengers in 1987. Its renovation is intended to enable the launch of dedicated suburban services as part of the national ‘Chile on Rails’ investment programme.
- Dig deeper: Read our feature article about the Chilean government’s ambitious passenger rail revival programme in the August 2023 issue of Railway Gazette International.
