Santiago Metro to Add Yet another New Line to Reduce Congestion

by

McKenzie Ingram

Santiago, Chile. 14 June 2017

The plan that thousands of Santiagüinos have hoped for and relied on is finally gaining ground.

Line 7, the much-needed remedy to decongest the main route of Santiago’s subway system, was finally declared on the first of June to have cemented its funding.

The line will run from an affluent community named Vitacura, along the main line of the metro that is currently congested near downtown, and end on the other side of Santiago in Renca. This line would not only lessen the burden of the primary line of the metro, but would also stretch to new parts of the city, reaching more than 1,300,000 people. This line has the ability to unite people from across the city by shortening a journey of 2 hours to less than 30 minutes and revitalizing nearby areas of low population density (El Mercurio).

The 45 kilometer-long 7th line would also put Chile in the top 20 most extensive metro lines in the world, among the likes of Shanghai, London, New York City, and Tokyo.

The plan was originally created in 2014 by current President Michelle Bachelet but will begin in 2020 and hopefully finish by 2025, barring budget deficits or other potential obstacles.

Why all the sudden hype about this far-off solution, then?

The current political race in Chile has certainly played a role in the buzz around this possibility.

Presidential candidate Sebastián Piñera promised to add three new lines to the metro through a seven-million-dollar project that would span over 10 years. This potential end to the seemingly continuous construction on the metro system has been stirring up excitement and expectation in communities across Santiago.

A growing host of problems surrounding the Santiago public transportation system make the construction a tantalizing prospect, including a 35% rate of evasion where users avoid paying, as well as an over-saturation of the main line, which currently is struggling under nearly double the density per square meter it was built to contain. Iván Poduje, an urban planner and academic from the Universidad Católica, warns that the stability of the whole metro system could be put in jeopardy if a solution is not soon reached (La Tercera).

Time is of the essence regarding this heavily-relied upon system of transport, and citizens of Santiago are certainly ready for ground to break on this construction toward a more efficient, less crowded future.