Ten new trains are set to begin operating on the Biotren network during the first half of this year, aimed at strengthening passenger transport in the Bío Bío region. The addition of these units is intended to increase service frequency on lines 1 and 2 of the rail system.
According to reports from biobiochile.cl, the first units are expected to arrive in the region in the coming weeks. While an exact date for full implementation has not been set, the integration process is already underway.
Nelson Hernández, General Manager of EFE Sur, explained that the first two units are already in Santiago undergoing rigorous testing. “These two are part of the ten trains that are already in Santiago, undergoing various tests: static tests, dynamic tests, and what is known as assembly tests, to get them ready for service,” Hernández stated.
Testing and commissioning
Once the trains arrive in Concepción, they must undergo a trial period, known as a 'white period,' before being cleared for public use. This process includes a 2,000-kilometer run to ensure everything is functioning correctly.
“Once they arrive here in the region, we need to conduct the trial period, which involves traveling 2,000 kilometers. Once that is completed successfully and they are officially accepted, they can enter service,” the executive detailed.
The arrival of this new technology will also allow older units to be retired from the system. The General Manager of EFE Sur specified that the UT 440 model trains will be decommissioned from current operations.
“The UT 440 trains will ultimately be taken out of service; they are being decommissioned and will be disposed of. It is most likely that we will look into selling those trains, but first, we must get these new trains into service, and we hope to do so soon,” Hernández concluded.
It is projected that by the end of the first half of this year, all ten new trains will be fully operational in the region.
