Mayor Vodanovic asks EFE to reconsider canceled station on Santiago-Melipilla train line

Tomás Vodanovic, the mayor of Maipú, Chile, has formally requested the State Railway Company (EFE) to reconsider its decision to cancel a planned station for the future Santiago-Melipilla train line. The proposed station, which would have been located at Camino a Melipilla and Pajaritos, was initially part of the project but was later removed due to safety issues stemming from the presence of informal settlements.

The current design for the Santiago-Melipilla line, a significant infrastructure project for Maipú, includes three stations: Vespucio, Tres Poniente, and Ciudad Satélite. However, the originally planned fourth station at Pajaritos was scrapped because the Latinoamericano and Vicente Reyes settlements occupied the intended site. Mayor Vodanovic highlighted that the municipality has actively worked to clear irregular settlements along Camino a Melipilla, successfully removing El Trébol in December 2025 and Santa Marta earlier this year.

With the upcoming eviction of the Latinoamericano camp in October, Vodanovic believes the safety conditions have improved sufficiently to warrant reconsidering the Pajaritos station. He emphasized that reinstating this station would significantly enhance connectivity for residents in that area of the commune and contribute to the urban redevelopment of the Camino a Melipilla corridor. This request is part of the Melitren Master Plan, a joint initiative by the Municipality of Maipú and Déficit Cero aimed at improving connectivity, public services, and public spaces around the new train stations.