Chile's extraordinary shape — a ribbon of land over 4,300 km long — means the country's long-distance travel is dominated by bus and plane, but its rail network, though modest compared with the coach system, is real, useful in specific places, and worth understanding if train travel is part of your plan. State operator EFE (Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del Estado) runs what remains of Chile's passenger rail.
Why Chile's trains cover so little ground
Chile once had a far more extensive rail network reaching into the north and south of the country, but decades of highway investment and the country's difficult geography — deserts in the north, fjords and channels in the south — left long-distance coach as the dominant mode. See our guide to coaches in Chile for how the bus network covers the ground Chile's trains no longer do. What survives today is concentrated around Santiago and the central-southern regions, plus a scattering of short tourist and heritage lines.
Santiago's suburban and regional network
Around the capital, EFE operates the Metrotrén and other suburban services linking Santiago to nearby towns such as Rancagua and Nos, useful for day trips or commuting rather than long-distance travel. These are frequent, inexpensive, no-reservation services more comparable to a regional commuter line than an intercity train — turn up and buy a ticket rather than booking ahead.
The Metrotrén is worth knowing about even for travellers not planning a specific side trip, since it connects Santiago's main Estación Central to satellite towns quickly and cheaply, and some visitors use it as a low-cost half-day excursion out of the capital without needing to organise a car or join a tour.
Further south, EFE's regional intercity services extend from Santiago down through the Central Valley toward Chillán and, on some services, further into the Bío Bío region, covering ground also served by long-distance buses on parallel routes. These trains are a comfortable, if slower, alternative to the bus on the corridors they serve, generally at a similar or lower fare.
The Biotren: Concepción's commuter rail
Around Concepción, in the Bío Bío region, EFE operates the Biotren, a commuter rail network linking Concepción with surrounding towns including Talcahuano and Coronel. It functions much like a metro or suburban rail system — frequent, no-reservation, and aimed at local travel rather than tourists — but is a useful and easy way to get around the Concepción metropolitan area if your itinerary includes it.
Tourist and heritage lines
Chile has a handful of short tourist railways rather than a network of them. These vary by season and sometimes operate only a few times a year, so treat any specific tourist train as something to check current status on rather than assume it runs on a fixed timetable — schedules for Chile's heritage lines change more often than its regular EFE services. They are worthwhile if the specific route interests you, but none function as practical intercity transport in the way the Machu Picchu trains do in neighbouring Peru.
What trains don't cover
There is no passenger rail linking Santiago to the far north (San Pedro de Atacama, Arica) or to Chilean Patagonia in the south — those regions are reached by long-distance bus, domestic flight, or a combination of bus and ferry through the fjords. See our driving in Chile guide for the practicalities of covering that ground by road, and our Santiago to Valparaíso guide for the coastal route, which is covered by bus and metro-train rather than a long-distance intercity service.
This is worth stressing for anyone assuming Chile's length is covered end to end by rail, as it might be in parts of Europe: outside the Santiago-centred network and the Biotren around Concepción, trains simply are not part of how Chileans or travellers get around the country. The long-distance coach network detailed in our coaches in Chile guide, and domestic flights for the longest stretches, do the work that rail performs elsewhere.
Booking and practicalities
EFE's suburban and regional services can generally be booked online through EFE's own website or bought at the station on the day for shorter routes; advance booking matters more for the regional intercity services during busy periods such as the December–February summer season. Fares are modest by international standards and reservations are not typically required on the suburban lines.
A note on freight and mining railways
Much of Chile's original rail infrastructure, particularly in the north, was built for mining and freight rather than passengers, and large sections of that network still move copper and other minerals rather than travellers. This history explains why Chile's map shows more rail lines than its passenger timetable would suggest — most of what remains today is industrial rather than something a traveller can book a seat on.
Which should you choose?
If your trip is centred on Santiago and the Central Valley, EFE's regional trains are a comfortable, practical option worth comparing against the bus on cost and schedule. For Concepción, the Biotren is genuinely useful local transport. For anywhere further north or south, rail isn't realistically part of the picture — the bus network covered in our coaches in Chile guide is the way most of the country is actually crossed.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a train from Santiago to the north or south of Chile?
No. Chile has no long-distance passenger rail to the far north (Atacama) or to Patagonia in the south. Those regions are reached by bus, domestic flight, or a mix of bus and ferry.
What is the Biotren?
A commuter rail network around Concepción, operated by EFE, linking the city with nearby towns such as Talcahuano and Coronel. It's frequent, inexpensive, local transport rather than an intercity service.
Do I need to book EFE trains in advance?
Suburban services generally don't require advance booking — buy at the station. Regional intercity trains are worth booking ahead during the December–February summer season and around national holidays.
Can I take a train from Santiago to Valparaíso?
Not as a single intercity train — that coastal route is covered by bus and a metro-train combination rather than a dedicated long-distance rail service. See our Santiago to Valparaíso guide for details.
Sources and further reading:
- EFE (efe.cl) — Chile's state rail operator, suburban and regional services.
- The Man in Seat 61 for rail details in Chile.
- Our guide to coaches in Chile.