By Sebastián Betancourt
The development works to build the new Terminal Intermodal Barrancas (TIB), located next to the Port of San Antonio, have reached 57% progress.
In detail, the work in the railway yard has completed the restructuring of the railway tracks outside the integrated TIB area, while work is underway to enable the sections that will be included in the port facility, as well as the development of the future stacking area.
According to information provided by the Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del Estado (EFE), the next tasks will focus on connecting both sectors, installing signaling and communications systems, and enabling the new traffic control building.
The Terminal Intermodal Barrancas aims to become a strategic point for rail freight transport moving through the Santiago – San Antonio branch, a logistics corridor that, with the implementation of the TIB, could multiply the capacity of goods associated with the San Antonio port by more than five times.
Among the features of the new facility, it stands out that it will be capable of handling over 250 thousand TEUs per year and trains up to 600 meters in length. The facility will be operated in an integrated manner with the port concessionaire DP World, also ensuring the transit of cargo operated by San Antonio Terminal Internacional (STI).
The planned investment for the project’s development is approximately 19 million dollars, considering the infrastructure, which is the responsibility of EFE, and the equipment for cargo handling, which is the responsibility of DP World. The start of operations for the Terminal Intermodal Barrancas is projected for the first half of 2026.
Improvement of the Santiago – San Antonio corridor
Parallel to the construction of the TIB, the development of works to improve the efficiency of the Santiago – San Antonio railway corridor is also planned, aiming to transport at least 30% of the container demand transferred through the port.
The initiative consists of three phases, the first being to extend the railway sidings to 600 meters and implement a Virtual Signaling Control (VSC) system; while the second stage considers lengthening the sidings for trains of 1,250 meters in length, increasing the speed standard to 65 kilometers per hour, and building a Modal Exchange Center (CIM) in the Metropolitan Region.
In a third step, the construction of a double track to San Antonio and the execution of works to adapt the layout for transporting containers in double stacking are considered.
