Temuco-Gorbea Railway Project Advances with 20% Construction

Works for the replacement of infrastructure for the Temuco-Gorbea railway extension project have reached 20% completion. This initiative involves an investment of 37.7 million dollars, as reported by EFE Trenes de Chile.

The ongoing works include the renovation of 45 kilometers of railway track with concrete sleepers, eight kilometers of sidings, intervention on 16 vehicular crossings, 32 pedestrian crossings, and approximately 90 kilometers of urban and rural perimeter fences.

These improvements will raise the standard of the track, allowing passenger train speeds to increase from 50 to 130 km/h and freight train speeds up to 100 km/h.

"This first phase, which currently shows 20% progress, is focused on the replacement of railway infrastructure between Temuco and Gorbea. In a second stage, works will be carried out at stations (roofs and higher platforms) to allow the resumption of passenger operations between both cities in the La Araucanía Region, which is projected for the second half of 2027," EFE communicated.

"Furthermore, the trains that will operate this service were manufactured in China and are in the process of being transported to Chile by ship, arriving in the country during August. Upon their arrival, they will begin static and dynamic testing phases, which will extend throughout the second half of 2026," it added.

The Undersecretary of Transport, Martín Mackenna, highlighted that "this project, with an investment of 37.7 million dollars, will allow us to expand railway coverage in La Araucanía, as an alternative for more than 4 million passengers annually, raising the standard and comfort of public transport, which is a task entrusted to us by President José Antonio Kast."

The President of EFE Trenes de Chile, Jorge Claude, explained that "our challenge is not only to build infrastructure but to create conditions for intensive use of the train, which has significant advantages in terms of safety and reliability, especially in regions like La Araucanía, where people must travel long distances for work, studies, errands, or medical procedures, often having to go to and from the regional capital or intermediate communes."

With the future extension of the service to Gorbea, EFE will strengthen connectivity between Temuco, Padre Las Casas, Freire, Pitrufquén, and Gorbea, generating a capacity to mobilize more than 4 million passengers annually, consolidating the train as a strategic axis for mobility in La Araucanía.