A structural gap separates Chile from international railway standards. Only 4% of infrastructure investment goes to railways, compared to 20% in OECD countries. This document proposes a roadmap to reverse this situation.
Chile ranks 42nd in the global competitiveness ranking and 48th in infrastructure. The imbalance in investment between modes of transport is one of the factors that explains this deficit.
4%
Railway investment
Of the total invested in infrastructure. The OECD average is 20%, five times more.
N°48
Global infrastructure ranking
Within the Global Competitiveness Index, Chile ranks 48th in infrastructure.
20M
Population as of 2026
A growing, more urbanized population with higher incomes demands high-capacity transportation.
88%
Urbanization of the territory
High concentration in the Metropolitan Region. The railway would be the natural axis of decentralization.
Despite efforts to revive the railway, there is no institutional framework that allows the authorities to plan, execute, and oversee railway projects with a long-term public policy perspective. The result: chronic congestion, higher logistics and energy costs, and increased emissions.
Chile by 2030: Chile is on track to become a high-income economy with a GDP per capita of US$42,000. Tourism accounts for 3-4% of GDP. Chile projects to consolidate its position as an exporting powerhouse in mining, agribusiness, aquaculture, and green hydrogen—all of which require rail logistics.
02 · SWOT Analysis
Load and passengers
The diagnosis reveals a system with great underutilized strengths and structural barriers that policy seeks to overcome.
Strengths
Ability to transport large volumes
High energy efficiency
Reduction of traffic congestion and emissions
Connectivity with ports and industrial zones
Opportunities
Increased demand for sustainable transport
Reactivation of existing railway lines
Development of bi-oceanic corridors
Private investment in integrated logistics
Weaknesses
Limited and poorly maintained infrastructure
Low modal participation
Intermodal Coordination
Dependence on specific products
Threats
High competition in road transport
Regulatory limitations and excessive bureaucracy
Climate events and natural disasters
Lack of tax incentives or subsidies
Strengths
Mass passenger transport capacity
High energy efficiency
Independence from traffic congestion
Safe transport and high public acceptance
Perpetuity as a State project
Opportunities
Increased demand for sustainable transport
New possible intercity corridors
Train at the forefront of technology
Greater physical and tariff integration
Private co-financing (north of the country)
Weaknesses
Limited territorial coverage
Insufficient infrastructure
Supply deficit and weak modal integration
Institutional and regulatory fragmentation
Slow and complex investment processes
Threats
High competition in road transport
Excessive bureaucracy in public investment
Climate events and natural disasters
Territorial and social conflicts
Citizens' preference for the automobile
03 · Success stories
The train Yes, it works.
Data shows that when you invest in rail, demand responds significantly. Four case studies that prove the system's potential.
Biotren
The underestimated
9.0M passengers/year
from 1.6M in 2015 → +462%
Rapid post-pandemic recovery. In August 2024, tenders were issued for the extension of platforms towards Coronel.
Santiago-Nos
The overwhelmed
74K pass/day
vs 50K estimated in design
It exceeded its design capacity two weeks after its inauguration. In 2022, additional trains were acquired to operate in double formation.
Limache-Puerto
The first of its kind
23M passes/year
since 20M in 2013
Main reference for the design of the Santiago-Nos. Sustained growth exceeding 20 million annually.
Alameda-Chillán
The survivor
+72% growth
from 145K to 249K passengers (2024-25)
The fastest in South America (160 km/h). 96% user satisfaction. Continental benchmark.
Santiago Metro: 640 million trips in 2024, at its greatest historical expansion. FCAB: Latin America's first hydrogen locomotive and 7.1 million tons moved in 2024. SITRANS: 50% increase in containers through San Antonio.
04 · Vision and objectives
Chile to 2050
"By 2050, Chile will have a railway system with high standards of service and reliability, integrated into public transport and national logistics, becoming a benchmark in Latin America for its efficiency, sustainability, innovation, safety and resilience."
The mission is to guide, coordinate and promote the development of the railway system through long-term strategic planning, effective governance and a modern institutional framework, bringing together public and private actors.
Greater urban, suburban and interurban passenger mobility
Increased demand for logistics and large-scale freight transport
Efficient multimodal systems that integrate rail
High-capacity, secure and sustainable solutions
Chile as a railway benchmark in Latin America
Reduction of accidents by 30% per year by 2030
Reduction of energy demand from transport by 25% by 2035
16% of total investment
Target rail investment (up from the current 4%). OECD level: Australia and South Korea invest 0.4% of GDP.
30% freight mode
Minimum modal split of rail in state ports for total net cargo.
50% Greater Santiago
Rail modal share is desirable in Greater Santiago. Similar to Paris, Berlin or Prague.
~600km runner
Valparaíso–Santiago–Concepción high-standard corridor: 75% of the population and 65% of the national GDP.
05 · Challenges to 2050
Barriers to overcome
The rail system faces structural, regulatory, and investment barriers. Here are the main challenges by category.
Infrastructure: ensuring its proper condition is key to security and competitiveness
Coverage: new production centers are located far from railway lines
Arbitration: decisions that prevent train traffic during peak hours
Modal competition: trucks cause greater road deterioration without proportional compensation
Lack of awareness: many companies are unaware that rail can be their logistics solution.
Combined logistics: reducing costs in export chains and port-inland connections
Climate resilience: Northern railways close indefinitely in the face of extreme events
Santiago's metro system is successful, but regions (Greater Concepción) have financing difficulties.
Trams: of interest to the private sector but systematically replaced by electric corridors
Valparaíso's elevators: abandoned because they are perceived "only as tourist attractions"
Conceptual errors: they are confused with the Metro when they have different objectives and dimensions
Systems that were undersized from the outset and now require comprehensive expansion
Lack of confinement: services exposed to multiple vehicular and pedestrian crossings
In Greater Concepción: citizens demanded an expanded Metro and Biotrén; the government announced electric bus corridors
Public-private opportunity in the north of the country
Train to Concepción (suspended 2007): in 2026 SECTRA announces the same study that was done in 2014
Train to Valparaíso (suspended 1992): 2023 study not awarded to date
Train to Temuco (suspended 2009): operational difficulties never resolved
Loss of central stations in Valparaíso, Concepción and Estación Mapocho
A new standard is needed: breaking the 200 km/h barrier?
Lack of coordination between state agencies and a comprehensive long-term vision
Project-level assessments, not with a network or corridor approach
Methodologies that systematically underestimate the benefits of railways
Requirement for in-depth demand studies from the earliest stages (SECTRA)
Very long, costly and highly uncertain processes for railway investments
06 · Strategic guidelines
8 axes of action
The Policy organizes its implementation into eight guidelines that cover everything from urban operations to national human capital.
1
Railways as the backbone of mass public transport in large cities and metropolitan areas, ensuring high capacity, energy efficiency and reliability.
2
Rail integrated into strategic logistics corridors through connection at key terminals and development of competitive high-standard corridors.
3
Development of high-performance rail services that connect the main regional capitals with competitive times and high quality.
4
Modernization of the railway institutional and legal framework to enable efficient, integrated and safe management of the system.
5
New long-term planning, evaluation and investment mechanisms based on corridors, portfolios and comprehensive plans.
6
Resilient and efficient railway infrastructure, incorporating seismic, climate and operational resilience standards.
7
Integration of the railway into urban development, promoting more integrated, accessible and sustainable cities.
8
Development of industry and human capital, recovering and developing national railway know-how. New railway campus.
07 · Governance
A new model
The policy proposes creating a new Ministry of Mobility, Critical Infrastructure and Territory with an institutional architecture that eliminates the current fragmentation.
Ministry of Mobility
Responsible for the planning, regulation, evaluation, and coordination of critical infrastructure and the national mobility system. This includes strategic planning, social and environmental assessment, certifications, and territorial coordination.
National Railway Authority
It proposes and reviews national railway regulations. It issues and oversees certifications for rolling stock and infrastructure. It reviews technical standards, safety, interoperability, and technology homologation.
Strategic Corridors Committee
Defines and updates the National Network of Strategic Rail Corridors. Prioritizes investments by corridor and ensures coherence with logistics, transport and territorial development.
Transport Associations
Operational and tariff coordination. Multimodal integration. Service planning. Channeling of investments and subsidies. They guarantee citizen participation.
Railway Companies
Infrastructure administration and asset management. Provision of services through Public Service Obligation (PSO) contracts. Annual publication of schedules.
National Railway Infrastructure Plan: A horizon exceeding 25 years, five-year review, multi-year financial programming, and political approval by the Council of Ministers and/or Congress. Regulatory changes within a maximum of 3 years and implementation of comprehensive plans within a maximum of 5 years.
08 · Monitoring indicators
As Do we measure?
The National Railway Monitoring System will monitor the progress of the policy through these indicators with annual public reports.
Modal share of passengersModal share of cargoAnnual passengers and cargoTerritorial coveragePublic and private investment% of GDP spent on critical infrastructure% of GDP in railway investmentKm of operational networkKm of modernized network% of grid electrificationEmissions reductionEnergy efficiencyRailway incident rateDegree of multimodal integrationPunctuality in itinerariesService quality indexFramework Plan ProgressCitizen acceptance
Do you want to learn more or support this initiative?
We are looking for allies from the public, private and international sectors who share the vision of a Chile with a modern, sustainable and connected railway system by 2050.
Your support is essential to promoting a modern, sustainable and connected railway system for Chile. With each signature, this initiative gains strength and gets closer to becoming a reality.
