3 DE NOVIEMBRE DE 2017

[ARCHIVO] President Bachelet inaugurated Metro Line 6, which will benefit over 1 million people in 7 districts of Santiago

President Michelle Bachelet this morning inaugurated Santiago Metro Line 6, comprising 15 kilometers of network and 10 stations that cross the districts of Cerrillos, Pedro Aguirre Cerda, San Miguel, San Joaquín, Ñuñoa, Santiago and Providencia. It is expected to benefit 1.1 million inhabitants.

During the ceremony, which included a ride that started at Los Leones station with stops at three stations along the new line (Estadio Nacional, Lo Valledor and Cerrillos), the President said, “this line will become a favorite mode of transportation for its users. You’ll soon see it with your own eyes: it’s comfortable, pleasant and has the latest technology.”

As of now, the public transportation has an additional 15 kilometers of network and 10 stations (seven of which are new) that will improve a central aspect of the lives of over one million people, especially those living in San Miguel, San Joaquín, Santiago, Providencia, Ñuñoa, Pedro Aguirre Cerda and Cerrillos.

The President said that the commuting time for people living in these seven districts will improve and underlined that journeys from Los Leones to Cerrillos will be reduced from the current 47 minutes to just 19 minutes, a 60% decrease in travelling time.

“This is what is achieved with better connectivity, intended for the majority of the people. The opportunities offered by a city such as Santiago will be available to everyone, leading to positive changes in neighborhoods, shopping areas and new urban hubs,” she said. The President added that investments have started up in the stations’ surroundings, which, in turn, has fostered the creation of jobs and made progress in decentralizing services, shops, green areas, and places where families can access culture and entertainment.

“For this reason this enormous public work is, like few others, a democratizing advance, because it integrates more neighborhoods and districts into a modern transportation system, and because it helps to create a friendlier city for everyone,” she said.

Noteworthy features of the recently launched line include world-class technology, with automatic piloting, air conditioning, and information screens; efficiency, with steel wheels (the same as on Line 4), consuming less energy due to less rail friction and less weight; LED lighting (currently outfitted with fluorescent tubes); safety, with power fed through an overhead catenary system; evacuation doors in the first and last cars; smoke detectors; 52 security cameras on each train; intercom systems in every car for communication between passengers and the control center. Likewise, Line 6 has improved accessibility, with stations with elevators at every level, escalators, new entrance and exit doors, and facilities for the disabled.

The new Line 6 aims to protect the environment through greater energy efficiency and the reduction of air emissions. Thus, we also will contribute to reducing pollution.

“In other words, Metro Line 6 was intended for everyone, without discrimination, to feel a positive change in their trips. Because we should never lose sight of the fact that a growing and developing country must be a better country for everyone, not for just a few. And the indicators and the spreadsheets make sense when changes are reflected in the daily lives of the people, in the recognition of their dignity, and in support of their activities,” she said.

During her speech, the President remembered that in December 2009, when she announced the creation of the new Santiago Metro Line 6, she did so with the same conviction of today. “By reducing the gaps in connectivity of many districts, and by making it at this level of quality for everyone, we make our capital city more modern, but, above all, a friendlier and fairer place,” she said.

In addition to this newly inaugurated line, the new Line 3 will add 22 kilometers and 18 stations to the network. As the President announced, “we also took the decision to extend Lines 2 and 3 and create the new Line 7. Because it is important not to lose our stride, and as it is far from being a “populist offer” – as some said at the time – the Metro is a public work that belongs to all Chileans and where a State vision should prevail,” she concluded.

You may also be interested in:
New Santiago Metro Line 6 to start operating this Thursday