• 2 min de lectura
• 2 min de lectura
Rodrigo Medina G. is a civil engineer specializing in transportation and former national director of Transportation Planning (Sectra).
The recent derailment of a cargo train in Chiguayante is not a random event; it is a technical warning about a railway coexistence model pushed to its limits. Global history, with disasters such as Viareggio (2009) or Lac-Mégantic (2013), underscores the vulnerability of populated areas to the transport of dangerous goods.
In Greater Concepción, we have "naturalized" that trains carrying dangerous substances circulate through platforms crowded with passengers. While the Biotrén grows in demand, both systems operate in a constant struggle for the same route. In expert opinion, Line 1 is currently an underutilized asset. Despite connecting Chiguayante, Hualpén, and Talcahuano, it does not reach the center of Concepción, and its development is limited by its subservience to cargo.
Here, the Northern Railway Access project gains strategic relevance. It is not just an efficient route to Santiago; it is the tool for network independence. By redirecting cargo, Line 1 could be dedicated to passengers, enhancing port and Carriel Sur logistics via a segregated route. Thus, Line 1 becomes the natural candidate for the longed-for underground system (Metro) that the city requires to reach its center.
This segregation is also a profound urban intervention. Only by eliminating the physical barrier of the cargo track will we be able to orient the city towards the Biobío, removing the main segregating entity from our riverbank. The roar in Chiguayante must be the catalyst for bold planning. Currently, studies for connection with Santiago and for an underground access to the center of Concepción are underway; let's not miss the opportunity to direct them appropriately or waste these advances, making the necessary efforts for them to progress to their next stages quickly and without delays.
Source: portalportuario
