For the first time in Chile, Chinese companies will build a $470 million railway to connect Santiago to Batuco, bringing Beijing’s technology to a 26 km electric line in a country that previously mainly bought trains from Europe.
Written byValdemar Medeiros
Published on25/05/2026 at 17:16
Updated on25/05/2026 at 17:17
Construction
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Chile hands over to China the largest suburban railway project in its history, with the Santiago-Batuco line, an investment of US$ 950 million and operation scheduled for 2030.
According to Railway Gazette International, EFE Trenes de Chile, the Chilean state railway company, signed on August 25, 2025 the largest civil and railway works contract in its history. The agreement provides for US$ 470 million for the consortium Constructora Gran Andes SpA, formed by China Railway Construction Corporation, CRCC, and its subsidiaries CR22 and CRCEB.
The project is the reconstruction of the Santiago-Batuco suburban line, with 26 km, connecting the north of the Metropolitan Region to the center of the capital in 24 minutes, compared to the 90 minutes the journey takes today by car. The line is expected to transport 35 million passengers per year when it enters operation in 2030, with six stations, seven railway bridges, two passenger tracks, and one freight track.
China dominates the Chilean railway market with CRCC, CRRC, and China Railway International Group
CRCC did not enter Chile only through the Santiago-Batuco project. The company has already participated in the construction of Lines 5, 6, and 7 of the Santiago metro, the most used transportation system in the country, consolidating its presence in strategic civil works in the Chilean capital.
