EFE – Trenes de Chile has announced that four bids are competing for the USD 220 million contract to build Alameda – Melipilla underground section.
The Chilean, Spanish, and Chinese consortia which will now proceed to the technical evaluation stage, are:
- China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC); China Railway International Group (CRIG); China Railway Tunnel Group (CRTG);
- China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC); China Railway 22nd Bureau Group (CR22); China Railway Construction Electrification Bureau Group (CRCEB);
- Besalco and Dragados; and
- Sacyr
The underground section includes the construction of a 3.2 km tunnel beneath the surface, running between Lo Errázuriz multimodal hub (in the western part of the Santiago Metropolitan Region) and Estación Central station in Santiago, as well as a new underground station. The station will feature platforms 160 metres in length and 30 metres underground, with access from the existing station, from Exposición Street, and a connecting tunnel to Metro Line 1. At the Lo Errázuriz end, the train will have a direct connection with Metro Line 6 via the Cerrillos station.
“With the opening of these bids, we’re getting ever closer to having the entire Melipilla train route fully awarded. This project is a promise we’ve built together with local communities, and it is now beginning to take shape. We’ll be working with well-established companies, and the fact that some bidders have participated in previous tenders shows that we’re building long-term relationships based on mutual trust,” said Mery Orellana, Project Delivery Manager for EFE’s Expansion Division.
The contract is expected to be awarded in October, with construction scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2026.
The works for Alameda – Melipilla underground section are among the most innovative and challenging parts of the project, and awarding this contract will allow for the completion of the entire route which will link Santiago and Melipilla. EFE has already awarded the contracts for the other sections which are in the early stages of construction.
This marks a key step towards the full execution of the rail route between Santiago and Melipilla, as the other two sections have already been awarded: Melipilla–Malloco to Sacyr Chile and Malloco–Lo Errázuriz to the Dragados–Besalco alliance.
Additionally, 22 new trains are currently being manufactured, the signalling and communications systems are close to being awarded, and construction has begun on the Workshops and Depots located in Peñaflor.
The USD 1.9 billion Alameda – Melipilla Train project includes 11 stations along a 61-km route, with three tracks as far as Malloco and two tracks to Melipilla, designed for passenger and freight trains.
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