The inauguration of the Temuco-Pitrufquén rail connection took place this Friday. It was attended by President Boric and Transport and Telecommunications Minister Juan Carlos Muñoz.
The new service is part of President Boric’s mandate to accelerate measures to reduce gaps in quality between Santiago and areas throughout Chile. Plan Trenes para Chile (Trains for Chile Plan) thus prioritizes those areas that already have railway infrastructure in order to activate new local services, named 30/30.
“Our government is determined for Chile to have more trains. We are not the first; nor are we going to be the only ones. This is a task that future governments will have to continue with in due course. I am very happy to be able to give this joyful news today to the people of Pitrufquén and Freire,” President Gabriel Boric.
The local 30/30 services aim to take people to cities that are 30 kilometers away in around 30 minutes.
The plan will be applied in three regions:
- Maule
- La Araucanía
- Los Lagos
In the case of La Araucanía, the service to Pitrufquén will have trains that have been in operation since 2021.
With regard to the other two services announced, the state railway company, EFE, is working on defining the rolling stock that will be used for both services.
Regarding journey times:
- In Los Lagos Region, Puerto Montt and Llanquihue will have a connection time of 37 minutes.
- In the Maule Region, the journey between Curicó and Talca will take 42 minutes.
Keep reading to learn more about the Temuco-Pitrufquén rail service.
Characteristics of the new Temuco-Pitrufquén train service
The Temuco-Pitrufquén rail service has the following characteristics:
- It will connect Temuco and Pitrufquén in 41 minutes
- It will extend to 29.3 kilometers
- It will benefit more than 300,000 people
- It will have three stops:
Temuco
Freire
Pitrufquén
The project will inaugurate a new service to transport passengers between the municipalities of Temuco and Pitrufquén. It will tackle the growing road congestion between both municipalities and the town of Freire.
It is a suburban service that uses the trains of the Temuco-Victoria line and existing facilities. Improvements will be made to adapt platforms to the level of the trains, in order to make them universally accessible.
The initiative includes recovering the Freire station. It has been fitted out with a higher platform to be used by people with reduced mobility. The roof of the old station has also been completely repaired through specialized work, as the surface is copper. Finally, the bathroom area, waiting room and entrances have been refurbished.
The following work has been carried out in Pitrufquén:
- A stop with universal accessibility
- A small shelter
- Lighting
- Benches and a direct platform at train level, similar to those in Pillanlelbún, Lautaro Centro, Perquenco and Quíllem
Execution of works
Work got under way in April and concluded in the first week of June.
Temuco-Pitrufquén will have six daily services, three in each direction at peak times, thus optimizing the route according to demand.
The first service will leave Temuco at 6:00am to allow the train to arrive in time for the Pitrufquén to Temuco service. This is because there are no train storage depots in Pitrufquén itself.
In preparation for the start of services to Freire and Pitrufquén, intensive coordinated work took place with the municipal authorities in both localities. Deployment was carried out through the National Railway Education and Safety Plan in schools, neighborhood associations, productive organizations, civil society organizations and at crossroads.
At these events, authorities explained safety measures aimed at guaranteeing a culture of coexistence with the train and adopting preventive actions to avoid possible accidents. They also gave out itineraries for the new service.
The Temuco-Pitrufquén service is the first step in the development of a larger Temuco-Gorbea project. The project is in the pre-feasibility study phase and includes an estimated investment of US$134 million. It will require three new trains, and is commissioned to begin operating in 2027.