Santiago, Aug 13 (EFE).- Santiago Metro on Monday presented the first trains built in the Andean nation during an event led by Chilean President Sebastian Piñera.
A total of 35 trains – each consisting of seven cars – will be added to the urban network’s Line 2 and Line 5, and the Santiago Metro facilities will be able to produce one new train every month.
The joint initiative by the Metro and French rail giant Alstom – which President Piñera deemed a “great achievement” – will have an investment of $316 million.
Santiago Metro CEO Louis de Grange said that the 1 million passengers who ride Line 2 and Line 5 daily will see improved travel conditions, as the new fleet is especially equipped for that purpose.
The trains come complete with air conditioning and public address systems, as well as wheelchair space and strategically placed handrails, he said.
Passengers will be able to move between cars as well.
In his address, Piñera also announced the construction of four new metro lines that will expand the network by 50 percent, in an effort to place citizens “within walking distance” from any given Metro station, thus increasing the population’s “free time.”