• 3 min de lectura
• 3 min de lectura
Chile has an optimal linear geography for railways; however, it suffers from a worrying dependence on roads. Therefore, strengthening rail freight is a decision for competitiveness. Today, trains move about 10% of national cargo, compared to a truck dominance that hovers around 90%.
Regarding cargo moving to and from ports, the Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications (MTT) warns that the high predominance of trucks - used even for long distances - produces effects such as congestion, higher costs, high emissions, and operational vulnerability.
The massiveness of trains produces insurmountable economies of scale over long distances, relieving highways. In terms of sustainability, something the logistics chain aspires to given climate change, it consumes one-third of the fuel of a truck and emits between three and ten times less CO2, positioning itself as a key piece to meet decarbonization goals.
The advantages of trains are clear. In the north, it is critical for high-volume mining cargo. And at the same time, some ports - like Antofagasta - achieve rail shares close to 50%, which reveals that the problem is not technical, but rather one of logistics policy, infrastructure, and scale.
Meanwhile, in the central zone, its value lies in connecting ports, yards, and consumption centers, and from Bio Bio to the south, it supports forestry flows, fuels, and containers. The train does not replace the truck: it frees it from what it does worse - long distances and large volumes - to concentrate it on the last mile.
The future advantage will be even greater. Global logistics is moving towards multimodal, traceable, and low-carbon systems. The National Plan for Rail Accessibility to Ports instructs projects to improve rail-port connectivity and reduce urban externalities.
The Barrancas terminal, located in San Antonio, shows the way. It has the capacity to receive trains up to 600 meters long, has virtual signaling, can transfer 250,000 TEU per year, and operates integrated with the port. Furthermore, the large-scale port in the same commune projects to move up to 40% of its cargo by rail when it begins operations.
As we can see, the train could become the backbone of foreign trade if it implements smart ports, yard automation, real-time data usage, cold chain implementation, and the use of clean energy in operations, as greener logistics are required today.
The task is political and business-oriented: stable rules, infrastructure investment, competitive contracts, and corridor governance. Our country should not choose between train and truck; it must stop using road transport as an anchor for foreign trade.
A modern logistics system assigns each mode its best function. If the country aspires to export more and pollute less, rail freight must go from being a marginal player to becoming strategic infrastructure.
