Chile: The national operator EFE has inaugurated six four-car trains ordered in 2020 for $70 mln. The fleet will run a 188 km route between the cities of Santiago and Curico.
The diesel-electric trains can reach a maximum speed of 160 km/h. According to the Chilean Ministry of Transportation and Communications, this will be the fastest passenger train in operation in South America. CRRC says the trains will have a range of 1,000 km when running on diesel.
Inside the CRRC hybrid train for EFE. Source: Xinhua
In the driver’s cab of the CRRC train for EFE. Source: Xinhua
The vehicle has 236 seats, all of which can be reclined up to 170°, and space for wheelchairs.
The trains have been undergoing dynamic testing on the EFE network since last summer. They were originally intended to connect Chillan and Alameda, but the launch of the line has been postponed until Q2 due to infrastructure damage caused by storms.
