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Ian Thomson Newman

July 28, 2025 | Central/South America

Santiago - Valparaíso: Chile’s impossible dream?

Ian Thomson-Newman looks at the history of a planned railway upgrade between the Chilean capital Santiago and the port city of Valparaíso, and the current prospects for delivering this ambitious scheme.

January 17, 2023 | Main line

Chile proceeds with Santiago - Valparaíso upgrade

Rebuilding the 187km route will cost $US 1.32bn.

July 22, 2021 | Central/South America

Arica - La Paz revival stopped in its tracks

The first train in 15 years to traverse the 206km Chilean section of the Arica - La Paz Railway was flagged off at the port of Arica on May 5. However, the train was halted near the Bolivian border by angry truckers fearful of competition from rail, as Ian Thomson-Newman reports.

May 5, 2021 | News

Chilean section of Arica - La Paz railway reactivated after 15 years

Pilot freight train left Arica port on May 5.

November 7, 2019 | Metros

Repairs to Santiago metro could cost $US 380m

THE Santiago Metro is continuing to recover after the network was badly damaged during protests last month, but the effects of the protests and the resulting social changes could have a long-term impact on the expansion of the network.

October 24, 2019 | Metros

Santiago Metro slowly recovers, but long-term issues remain

SERVICES on Santiago Metro have slowly began to recover after the network was badly damaged during protests against a 4% fare increase on October 20.

October 22, 2019 | Metros

Santiago metro suffers serious damage in fares hike protest

SANTIAGO’s 140km seven-line metro network suffered serious damage on Saturday October 20 during protests against a 4% increase in fares.

May 20, 2019 | Commuter Rail

Santiago to expand commuter rail network

ENVIRONMENTAL approval was granted in mid-May for a $US 1.56bn project to introduce a second commuter rail service in the Chilean capital running 25km from Santiago to Malloco on the line to Melipilla.

May 8, 2019 | High-speed

Third proposal unveiled for Chilean high-speed line

THE Iniciativas Privadas (IP) consortium of Chilean logistics company Agunsa, Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas, a Méxican construction company, and Talgo, Spain, has put forward a proposal for a new high-speed rail link between the Chilean capital Santiago and the port city of Valparaíso. This follows proposals by Chilean State Railways (EFE) and the Tren Santiago Valparaíso (TSV) consortium.

June 11, 2018 | Central/South America

Santiago plans two new metro lines

TWO new lines and the extension of another, announced by Chilean president Sebastian Piñera in his June 1 address to the nation, are set to almost double Santiago´s metro, already the most extensive in South America at 103.5km.

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