Ayesa Engineering to deliver specialist advisory services for Santiago Metro Line 9

This latest milestone builds on Ayesa Engineering’s existing contracts for system supervision on the Line 3 extension and civil works for Line 7.

The new 27-kilometre route will serve two million residents, delivering faster, more efficient journeys across the city.

Ayesa Engineering, a global provider of engineering and technology services, has been awarded a key specialist advisory contract by Santiago Metro to provide project management support for the development of Line 9. This milestone further strengthens Ayesa’s role as a trusted partner in the expansion of Chile’s most important mass transit system and builds on its ongoing work on Lines 3 and 7.

Spanning 149 kilometres, the Santiago Metro is one of the most modern and extensive networks in Latin America—serving as a vital backbone of sustainable urban mobility. While construction of Line 7 continues and engineering for Line 8 progresses, planning is already underway for Line 9, backed by a USD 2.733 billion investment.

Ayesa brings extensive experience in mass transit systems, having delivered over 60 major rail and metro projects worldwide. Under this new contract, Ayesa will provide engineering management advisory services, counterpart engineering, environmental and community relations consultancy, works coordination, service change management, expropriation and easement management, as well as project planning and control.

The future Line 9 will be fully underground, adding 27 kilometres to the existing network. It will run through the districts of Recoleta, Santiago, San Miguel, San Joaquín, La Granja, San Ramón, La Pintana, and Puente Alto—benefiting two million residents by substantially reducing travel times.

Line 9 will be the first in Santiago to feature a four-line interchange at Cal y Canto station—strategically located at the edge of the historic city centre. Connecting with Lines 2, 3, and 7, it will serve as a major transfer hub with six interchange points, easing pressure on Line 4 and providing faster, more direct routes into the heart of the city.

The new line will comprise 19 stations, along with depots and maintenance facilities.

“To integrate Line 9 with the existing network, some stations will need to be constructed at depths exceeding 40 metres, which presents a significant engineering challenge,” explains Mariluz Ramírez, Director of Transport LATAM at Ayesa. “We’ll need to design highly efficient vertical transport systems to manage heavy passenger volumes between Line 9, surface access, and connecting lines.”

BIM methodology will be employed to coordinate all aspects of the project.

Fourth major contract win with Santiago Metro

This latest award further strengthens Ayesa’s partnership with Santiago Metro. In 2022, Ayesa was appointed to provide technical inspection services for the installation, testing, and commissioning of systems and equipment for the Line 3 extension. The company is also currently supervising civil works on sections 2, 3, and 4 of Line 7.

Additionally, Ayesa is supporting Santiago Metro’s digital transformation through a separate technology contract providing infrastructure services for its SAP ERP system—streamlining user processes and improving administrative efficiency.

With a long track record across Latin America, Ayesa has played a central role in the development of metro systems in Bogotá, Panama City, Quito, Lima, Mexico City, Monterrey, and Santo Domingo, offering end-to-end services in planning, design, project management, and supervision.