Santiago Metro Line 8 is a planned rapid transit line that will form part of the Santiago Metro. It is planned to have an approximate length of , connecting the communes of Providencia on the northeast and Puente Alto on the southeast of the Chilean capital, passing through Ñuñoa, Macul, and La Florida.
It will connect with lines 1 and 6 in Los Leones, with line 3 in Chile España, and with line 4 in Macul. Its distinctive color on the network line map is orange.
History The Secretaría Interministerial de Planificación de Transporte (Sectra) proposed in 2006 the construction of a metro line along the Los Leones–Macul–La Florida corridor, a project that was ultimately frozen due to the Transantiago crisis.
The line was proposed again as "Line 10" during Sebastián Piñera's 2017 presidential campaign. That version comprised 12 stations over 17 km, beginning at Avenida Irarrázaval and heading south. After being elected president, Piñera made the official announcement of construction on June 1, 2018, during his annual public address. The officially designated Line 8 retained the same proposal from October of the previous year, but with a northern extension so that the line would connect with Line 1 at Los Leones.
In July 2019, Metro opened the tender for the basic civil engineering works for the Line 8 project.
Postponement and reactivation Due to the October 2019 protests in Santiago that severely damaged the Santiago Metro, on March 9, 2020, the company declared the tenders for lines 8 and 9 void. This decision was largely driven by the need to redirect funds toward repairing damage caused by the numerous incendiary attacks suffered by various stations during the social unrest.Declaran desiertas las licitaciones para las construcciones de las líneas 8 y 9 del Metro
On September 5, 2021, the tendering process was reactivated, with an initial estimate that Line 8 would be ready by 2030. On February 27, 2022, a public tender was issued for the basic civil engineering design of the project. The basic engineering work was completed during 2023, after which preparations began for submitting the Environmental Impact Study (EIA).
In July 2024, Metro submitted the project for environmental review by delivering the technical and formal documentation of the EIA to the Environmental Evaluation Service (SEA), initiating the formal permitting process. The total projected investment is approximately US$1.9 billion. On April 23, 2026, the SEA published its Consolidated Evaluation Report (ICE) recommending approval of the EIA. On May 6, 2026, the Environmental Evaluation Commission (Coeva) of the Santiago Metropolitan Region unanimously approved the project.
The line is expected to open in two phases: the section between Chile España and Mall Plaza Tobalaba in 2032, and the northern section from Chile España to Los Leones in 2033.
Urban landmarks Line 8 will pass through various urban landmarks that previously lacked a direct Metro connection. Traveling from north to south, the route begins on Avenida Providencia and will serve the Plaza 18 de Septiembre in the Barrio El Aguilucho neighborhood, Avenida Irarrázaval in central Ñuñoa, the Macul Campus of the Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación, Mall Portal Ñuñoa, the civic district of Macul known as Barrio Punta de Rieles, the Complejo Deportivo Juan Pinto Durán, Avenida La Florida, Mall Patio Outlet La Florida, Mall Plaza Tobalaba, and the El Peral Psychiatric Hospital, in addition to residential neighborhoods across Providencia, Ñuñoa, Macul, La Florida, and Puente Alto.
Stations The tentative station names are listed below from north to south. Final names will be determined through a public participation process.Licitación Línea 8
Station (tentative name)TransfersLocationOpeningCommuneLos Leones Av. Los Leones / Colipí2033ProvidenciaEliodoro YáñezAv. Los Leones / Av. Eliodoro Yáñez2033ProvidenciaDiagonal OrienteGeneral Artigas / Pedro Lautaro Ferrer2033Providencia / ÑuñoaChile EspañaAv. José Pedro Alessandri / Dublé Almeyda2032ÑuñoaGreciaAv. José Pedro Alessandri / Av. GreciaÑuñoaRodrigo de ArayaAv. Macul / Av. Rodrigo de ArayaÑuñoa / MaculQuilínAv. Macul / Av. QuilínMaculLas TorresAv. Macul / Av. Dr. Amador NeghmeMaculMaculAv. La Florida / Av. Américo VespucioMacul / La Florida / PeñalolénWalker MartínezAv. La Florida / Av. Walker MartínezLa FloridaRojas MagallanesAv. La Florida / Av. Rojas MagallanesLa FloridaTrinidadAv. La Florida / Av. Trinidad OrienteLa Florida / Puente AltoDiego PortalesAv. Camilo Henríquez / Av. Diego PortalesLa Florida / Puente AltoMall Plaza TobalabaAv. Camilo Henríquez / Cerro Punta NegraPuente Alto
References
Notes
External links Metro S.A. UrbanRail.net/Santiago Santiago Metro Track Map Tarjeta Bip! Plan and Authority of Transit of Santiago de Chile, Transantiago