25 June 2019
SYSTRA will carry out for its client Metro SA the basic design for rail systems, workshops and rolling stock of this new 100% automatic line (pictured above is a zone through which the line will pass).

Running east to west, the future line 7 will be partly parallel with line 1 (see map at the end of the article) in order to relieve it of around 10,000 passengers per day. Announced in June 2017, this new project should be commissioned in 2026. The Santiago network should thus consist of 176 km of track and 163 stations. Line 7 is the first project in a new phase of expansion for the Santiago metro over the next 8 years, confirmed by President Piñera, a phase that will see the construction of 3 new lines and 4 line extensions.

The bid contained a twofold challenge. “Firstly, we are going to have to work to very tight deadlines, as the basic civil engineering started a year early. Also, price was an essential factor for our client, forcing us to produce fast, well and with as little iterations as possible”, emphasised Hervé Laurain, Managing Director Hispanic America.

To resolve these two issues, SYSTRA decided to assign outstanding professionals to the project. “We proposed a team made up of experienced colleagues, who are familiar with the context and challenges of the Santiago metro, have received feedback on what was experienced on the automatic lines 6 and 3 (already designed by SYSTRA), and who have already worked with the Santiago metro teams. This customised organisation will enable us to ensure the integration and coherence of all the engineering produced, without a learning curve and with great productivity”, explained Hervé Laurain.

Also, thanks to its extended experience of full automatic lines, SYSTRA will be able to propose to Metro de Santiago state-of-the art improvements, which will make Line 7 a top-class project.

Another factor played a determining role in winning the contract: for 50 years, SYSTRA has had a branch in Chile involved in railway systems, employing full-time Chilean and international engineers. “Our long history in Chile reassured Metro SA. For SYSTRA it is not about one-shot deals, we offer long-term commitment”, concluded Hervé Laurain.

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