Gran Santiago, the metropolitan area of the Chilean capital, has 6.1 million inhabitants. The city lies 110 km from the Pacific Ocean (Valparaíso). In 1968 the decision was taken to build a rubber-tyred metro system with 5 lines and totalling 60 km.

 History

15 Sept 1975 - Line 1 - San Pablo - La Moneda 8.2 km
31 Mar 1977 - Line 1 - La Moneda - Salvador 3.2 km
31 Mar 1978 - Line 2 - Los Héroes - Franklin 4.9 km
21 Dec 1978 - Line 2 Franklin - Lo Ovalle 4.8 km
22 Aug 1980 - Line 1 - Salvador - Escuela Militar 4.5 km
15 Sept 1987 - Line 2 - Los Héroes - Cal y Canto 1.7 km
05 April 1997 - Line 5 - Baquedano - Bellavista de la Florida 10.3 km
03 Mar 2000 - Line 5 - Baquedano - Santa Ana 2.8 km
31 Mar 2004 - Line 5 Santa Ana - Quinta Normal 2 km
08 Sept 2004 - Line 2 Cal y Canto - Cerro Blanco 1.6 km
22 Dec 2004 - Line 2 Lo Ovalle - La Cisterna 2.3 km
25 Nov 2005 - Line 2 Cerro Blanco - Einstein (1.9 km)
30 Nov 2005 - Line 4 Tobalaba - Grecia (7.7 km) and Vicente Valdés - Plaza Puente Alto (10.9 km)
30 Nov 2005 - Line 5 Bellavista de la Florida - Vicente Valdés
02 Mar 2006 - Line 4 Grecia - Vicente Valdés (6.1 km)
16 Aug 2006 - Line 4A Vicuña Mackenna - La Cisterna (7.7 km)
21 Dec 2006 - Line 2 Einstein - Vespucio Norte (2.4 km)

Line 3 was originally planned to run from Plaza Chacabuco (Santiago Racecourse) to Plaza Egaña (La Reina), it would be extended further north to Conchalí (at Américo Vespucio Ringroad) under Independencia Av. (where one of the light rail branches would be built). It would meet line 2 at Puente Cal y Canto, line 5 at Plaza de Armas, line 1 at Universidad de Chile, line 5 again at Irarrázaval, and line 4 at Plaza Egaña.

In November 2005, plans for a new line to Maipú were published. This line will actually be an extension of Line 5 from Quinta Normal, then run west along Av. San Pablo, parallel to L1 (with a station at some distance from San Pablo to avoid transfer to the overcrowded L1) and then turn south along Av. Teniente Cruz and Av. Pajaritos to serve Pudahuel, Lo Prado and Maipú. This extension will be 14.2 km (10.3 km underground and 3.9 km elevated) and have 11 stations (plus the Vespucio Sur interchange, which was added to the project in July 2008). More stations may be built at a later stage. Construction started in early 2007. The first section to Pudahuel is scheduled for completion in 2009, the rest in 2010.

By 2009, Line 1 will be extended from Escuela Militar towards the east to Los Dominicos with 3 new stations (3.8 km): Manquehue, Hernando de Magallanes and Plaza Los Dominicos. La Gloria may be added later.

In 2009, the total length of the network will be 102.4 km with 104 stations. See map with planned extensions.

In Dec. 2007, the construction of an additional elevated station on Line 4, called San José de la Estrella and located between the existing stations Trinidad and Los Quillayes, was announced for opening in 2010.

-OPERATION

6:30 - 22:30, 2-3 min. interval rush hour, 4-8 min rest of the day

-FARES (2009)

Flat fare system with free transfers introduced in 2007 > Transantiago:

standard fare - 400 pesos (valid 90 minutes)
metro peak-hour fare - 460 pesos

Cash cards (bip!) available to be refilled from $800 to $25,500.

Metro de Santiago (Official Page) incl. new extensions

Transantiago

Metro Santiago en Wikipedia (Spanish)

Alamys - Metro de Santiago Page

Private Page with some old maps and photos by Julio Serrano Escobar

Railway Technology Page

EFE - Metrotrén (Suburban Rail)

Photologs by Juan Pablo Arias (L1 | L2 | L4 | L4A | L5)