Siemens Mobility has finished installing communications-based train control (CBTC) technology on Line 1 of the Mexico City Metro.
The project forms part of an effort to modernise operations and upgrade the city’s oldest and most heavily used metro line. This line first opened in 1969 and extends between Pantitlán and Observatorio, covering a distance of 18.6km.
The recent works included the deployment of Siemens Mobility’s Trainguard MT CBTC system, which facilitates moving-block operation and reduces the minimum interval between trains to 100 seconds.
This adjustment is expected to increase Line 1’s capacity by up to 15%, allowing it to handle up to 850,000 passengers per day.
In addition to installing the new signalling technology, Siemens introduced a fibre-optic backbone to improve digital communications along the route, as well as undertaking track renewal works.
STC, the operator of Mexico City Metro, anticipates that these upgrades will lead to shorter dwell times at stations, more consistent service intervals and increased reliability when full operations resume.
The new CBTC equipment has been installed on the recently delivered fleet of 29 NM-22 series trains from CRRC Zhuzhou, which is serving as the main contractor for the upgrade. It has also been fitted to 10 refurbished NM-16 series trains.
Siemens Mobility holds a 16-year service agreement to maintain both the signalling and train control systems on Line 1. The company served as signalling subcontractor throughout the project.
Siemens Mobility Latin America and Brazil CEO Liubov Schachtner said: “We are enabling faster and more reliable journeys, setting a new benchmark for urban mobility in Latin America.”
Recently, Siemens Mobility was awarded a contract by Chile’s national railway operator, EFE Trenes de Chile, to deliver the country’s first European Train Control System Level 2 (ETCS L2) project.
The initiative includes the installation of advanced signalling systems along 87km of railway, covering the Tren Alameda-Melipilla and Tren Santiago-Batuco lines, both of which are currently under development.
