Sistema de Transporte Colectivo, also referred to as the Mexico City Metro is a rapid transit system serving the Greater Mexico City area in the Latin American country. It is the world’s eighth busiest metro and North America’s second largest rapid transit system. The metro serves 16 boroughs and 41 neighbourhood municipalities of Greater Mexico City.
The transit system is operated by Sistema de Transporte Colectivo (STC). It stretches 225km (approximately) and includes 12 lines with 195 intermediate stations. Line 12 of the metro, also called the Gold Line, was opened in October 2012.
The average daily ridership of the metro is 3.86 million passengers. In 2010, the transit system served around 1.41 billion passengers.
Development stages of the rapid transit system
Construction of the metro system was carried out in seven stages. The first stage included the construction of Lines 1, 2 and 3. It was carried out between 1967 and 1972. Stage two of construction, carried out between 1977 and 1982, included the construction of Lines 4 and 5. This stage also included an extension to Line 3. In the third stage, Lines 6 and 7 were built between 1983 and 1985. Lines 1, 2 and 3 were also extended during this stage.
An earthquake in 1985 disturbed the progress of the project although construction resumed quickly. Stage four of the project was carried out between 1986 and 1987. It included the construction of Line 9 and extension of Lines 6 and 7.
In the fifth stage of construction, carried out between 1988 and 1994, Line A and Line 8 were constructed. Stage six included the construction of Line B between 1993 and 2000. The final stage of construction started in 2008. It included construction of Line 12, which was inaugurated in October 2012.
The metro was constructed at a total cost of $1.8bn (24.5bn Mexican pesos) of which $0.5bn (7.5bn Mexican pesos) was funded by the federal government and $0.42bn (5.7bn Mexican pesos) was collected in the form of local funds.
A consortium of ICA and Carso was contracted to carry out the civil works on Line 12 of the metro. Alstom was awarded a turnkey contract to supply its Urbalis CBTC-based ATO control systems and overhead electrification systems for the line.
Lines of Mexico City’s Metro
Line 1 stretches 18.28km (16.65km for passenger service) from Observatorio to Pantitlán and is denoted by the colour pink. It was opened in 1969 and was extended three times and currently has 20 stations. It is completely underground and runs from east to west of the city.
Line 2 which was opened in 1970, extends from north-west to south of the city from Cuatro Caminos to Tasqueña. It was extended twice and stretches 23.43km (20.71km for passenger service) with 24 stations. It is denoted by the colour blue.
Denoted by olive green, Line 3 stretches 23.6km (21.27km for passenger service) and includes 21 stations. It runs from north to south of the city between the terminals Indios Verdes and Universidad. It was opened in 1970 and is mostly underground.
Line 4, which extends from north to the south-west corner of the city, starts at Martín Carrera and terminates at Santa Anita. It was opened in 1981 and is mostly elevated. The line stretches 10.74km (9.36km for passenger service) and includes ten stations. It is represented by an aquamarine blue colour.
The metro’s Line 5 is 15.67km long (14.43km for passenger service) extending from north to east of the city. It was extended twice and includes 13 intermediate stations. The line starts at Politécnico and terminates at Pantitlán. Some part of the line is underground and remaining runs on the surface.
Line 6 is 13.94km (11.43km for passenger service) and represented by red. It was first opened in 1983 and was extended once. It starts at El Rosario and terminates at Martín Carrera. Currently it has 11 stations and is completely underground except for one station.
Represented by orange, Line 7 is an 18.78km (17.01km for passenger service) long metro line stretching between El Rosario and Barranca del Muerto. The line was opened in 1984 and extended three times. It currently includes 14 stations. This line also runs underground, excluding one station on surface.
Line 8 represented by the colour green, starts at Garibaldi and extends 20.07km (16.67km for passenger service) to terminate at Constitución de 1917. It has 19 stations, of which 14 are underground and five are above the surface.
First opened in 1987, Line 9 stretches 15.37km (13.03km for passenger service) and includes 12 stations. It is represented by dark brown. It starts at Tacubaya and terminates at Pantitlán.
Line A, also called Line 10, was opened in 1991 and is represented by a purple colour. It has a total track length of 23.72km of which 14.89km is used by passenger services. It starts at Pantitlán and passes through eight intermediate stations to terminate at La Paz. It has elevated, surface and underground stretches.
Line B, also called as Line 11, stretches 23.72km of which 20.27km is used for passenger services. It starts at Ciudad Azteca and passes through 19 intermediate stations to terminate at Buenavista. The line was first opened in 1999 and is represented by gray and green colours.
Represented by a gold colour, Line 12 stretches 24km between Mixcoac and Tláhuac and has 18 intermediate stations.
Rolling stock on Sistema de Transporte Colectivo
Line 1 operates MP-68 (1968 French-built) and NE-92 (1992 Spanish-built) rolling stock. NM-02 (2004 Mexican) rolling stock is used on Line 2.
Line 3 uses NM-79 (1979 Mexican-built) rolling stock while Line 4 uses six-wagon CAF Spanish rolling stock.
Line 5 uses NC-82 (1982 Canadian) rolling stock and Line 6 uses six-wagon trains introduced by STC.
Line 7 operates NM73 and NM 83 model rolling stock and MP68 trains. Line 8 uses MP82 rolling sock which were manufactured during 1982-84 in France.
Line 9 operates GPS and intelligent control system renovated MP68 rolling stock. Line A operates FM86 (1986 Mexican), FM95A (1998-99 Mexican) and FE07 (2009 Spanish) rolling stock.
Line B operates Bombardier-Concarril refurbished intelligent control system and GPS equipped MP68 rolling stock. This rolling stock was previously operated on Line 1.
Line 12 operates FE-10 rolling stock manufactured by CAF in 2011. CAF was awarded a contract to supply 30 seven-car railway sets in December 2009.
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