Central Station (Santiago)

Central Station, historically and still sometimes called Alameda Station, is the main railway terminal of Santiago, Chile, serving the country's southern regions and the city's only major rail terminus since the closure of Mapocho station. It first opened in 1885, and the building was substantially redesigned in 1897 under a plan credited to the engineer Gustave Eiffel, with its iron framework manufactured by the French firm Schneider of Le Creusot. The station's fame gave its name to the surrounding Estacion Central commune, and in 1983 the Chilean government declared the building a national monument, protecting it from demolition or major alteration; it was formally renamed from Alameda to Central Station on May 24, 2021 as part of a rebranding of the state railway. Today it functions as an interchange linking commuter and intercity rail with Santiago's Metro Line 1 and several bus terminals.