After having visited the former Mapocho station, Estación Central is rather disappointing. Designed by Gustave Eiffel in 1897 it functions as a railway station untill today. It is part of an important transportation hub in Santiago, as the major bus companies have terminals here in addition to a metro station. Most locals refer to the place as Alameda station. The main connections are towards the south of Chile.

I took the EFE train from Estacion Central to San Carlos Station [South]. Out bound was awful, return was much better. Here is my complaint to EFE [Chile's National Railway]: Lack of explanation regarding car categories At the time of purchasing my ticket, the EFE official at Central Station did not inform me that there was a Lounge category and another more comfortable one called Preferential, with the result that my trip to San Carlos was uncomfortable and unpleasant due to having to travel in a dilapidated Lounge car. , narrow, with seats in poor condition and unhygienic. Unfortunately, I had already purchased a return ticket by Lounge car, which did not allow changes, which is why I chose to lose my ticket purchased for Monday the 10th of the present and instead purchase a ticket for Tuesday the 11th by Preferential car. which resulted in an unnecessary extra expense as a result of EFE not initially informing me of the different categories of cars. “Entre Rieles” cafeteria service very poor, to say the least During the trip and when accessing the cafeteria service, I had to wait for the young barista – supposedly serving – to finish her long social chat on her cell phone to obtain the desired service. Once I obtained this service and she answered my questions - with terse monosyllables - I asked for a glass to drink the soft drink I had bought, the strange response was a strict “there is none”, “we have instructions not to give glasses” This surprising response did not take into account that the glasses did exist since they were available for passengers who drank coffee or tea, but not for those who drank soft drinks like me, so common sense would dictate that it was not a difficulty to give me a glass. This refusal was accompanied by a lackadaisical, unprofessional and rude attitude, which I let them know in clear terms, indicating my annoyance at the terrible service and that I was also going to make a formal complaint. In response, they told me that I should speak with the Driver, who was present at that moment. She explained the nature of the problem and the poor customer service. I immediately asked the employees of “Entre Rieles” for her name, which they refused to give, only the driver, Ms. GRICELDA CALDERON, kindly gave me her name along with the corresponding apologies. When I wanted to pay for what I purchased, I did so with cash, but they did not give me the receipt required by law, claiming that the payment machine did not provide receipts for payments made in cash. After they made a phone call, they informed me that the ballot would be sent electronically to my email, which I did not accept, since – for cyber security reasons – I do not provide that information anywhere. Once I left the cafe – without a ticket – Driver Calderon very kindly talked to me and gave me the alternative of sending the ticket by mail to my temporary address in Chile, to which I agreed, as it seemed like a reasonable alternative. I must add that the cars I travel in have a dirty, old, and neglected interior and exterior appearance with many of their seats in poor condition and dirty.[car photos] EFE personal driver and passenger service I must highlight the professional, respectful, cordial and considerate attitude of the Driver Ms. Gricelda Calderon and Assistant Valeria [I think that was her name] who with their good attitude and good disposition somehow “saved” EFE's reputation. I thank these officials for helping to make my trip a little more pleasant and I congratulate them for their dedication and professionalism. Finally, I write this note with the purpose of alerting and urging EFE – my preferred way of traveling when I visit Chile – to raise the quality of supervision and implement rigorous selection and training of their contractors with emphasis on ensuring good service to the customer. customer; Without improving these essential aspects, not only does the company's reputation suffer, but also the public's desire to prefer other means of transportation with better customer service. JCF Victoria, British Columbia Canada The final insult is that EFE's on line complaint form doesn't accept complaints unless you supply a RUT number, which is the equivalent of the Canadian Social Insurance Number, naturally, being from Canada, I don't have that number...that was the final insult