Alstom will Supply 12 Regional Trains for Chilean Railway

Alstom has won two orders worth a total of €54m from Chilean state-owned railway company Empresa de Ferrocarriles del Estado (EFE).

Under the first €44m contract, Alstom will supply 12 Xtrapolis regional trains, which are being acquired as part of EFE’s Xpress project to upgrade the 80km Santiago – Nós – Rancagua suburban line.
The Xtrapolis electric multiple units (EMUs) will be serviced under a €10m five-year maintenance contract, which is renewable for up to 30 years.
Alstom’s Santa Perpetua plant in Barcelona will build the 120km/h two-car trains, which will be capable of accommodating 376 passengers.
The new trains will feature computer-controlled traction, advanced braking and safety systems, and fully integrated CCTV passenger information systems.
Space on the train will be saved by distributed motorisation and interior circulation that should make movement inside the train easier when crowded.
The trains will be equipped with a modern passenger interface and communication systems, wider seats and toilets, as well as areas for passengers with reduced mobility.
Electrical braking capacity on the trains will cut energy consumption by around 30%, while articulated architecture reduces the weight of the train.
Alstom Chile country president Julio Friedmann said: “With these new trains, thousands of Chileans will be able to travel aboard modern, comfortable and environmentally-friendly means of transport.”
Alstom said that the new order will help enhance regional mobility in Chile, where the number of regional commuters has increased by 14% in two years.
The new Xtrapolis trains, scheduled to enter service in the first half of 2014, are expected to cut the journey time between Santiago and Nos to 15 minutes, with services operating every eight and every four minutes during peak hours.