Alstom will also install signalling equipment and couplings on the eight trains intended for the Valparaíso valley as part of the order which is worth a total of €70m. The trains will be delivered in the first quarter of 2015 and will operate in parallel with the current fleet of 27 X'Trapolis trains in Valaparaíso, and the 12 vehicles ordered in October 2012 for the Rancagua Xpress service, which is due to begin operations later this year.

X'Trapolis can operate at a maximum speed of 120km/h and can accommodate more than 370 passengers.

For an in-depth look at Chile's suburban rail boom, see the December 2013 issue of IRJ p20, or click here.