Chilean president Sebastián Piñera has officially launched a $2.5bn project to add a line to the Santiago metro system.

Line 7 will run between the suburbs of Renca, on the northwestern outskirts of the capital, and Vitacura in the northeast. It will be 26km long, with 19 stations. When completed in 2027, it is expected to halve travel time across the north of the city and relieve pressure on the system’s Line 1.

The line, which will be entirely automatic, is being designed by French state-owned public transport company Systra, which is also supplying the rolling stock. The company, which has been active in the Chilean market for the past 50 years, also designed lines 3 and 6 of the metro.