In the capital of Ecuador, the city of Quito, at an altitude of 2850 meters above sea level, on December 1, 2023, it became possible to use the first metro line, this is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

The first subway line

This underground line, with a length of 22.6 km and 15 stations, connects the north and south of the capital, providing passengers with convenient transportation.

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Trains, operating every 5 minutes during peak hours and 8 minutes during off-peak hours, ensure fast travel, reducing the travel time between endpoints to 34 minutes.

In the first three days of the line’s operation, the number of transported passengers reached an impressive mark of 273,000 people.

The project cost $2 billion and was funded by organizations such as the Andean Development Corporation, the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank, and the European Investment Bank.

The Spanish company ACCIONA carried out the construction work, while the train manufacturer CAF supplied 18 six-car trains capable of reaching speeds of up to 100 km/h and accommodating up to 1259 passengers each.

Bombardier Transportation (currently part of Alstom) supplied the signaling system, and Siemens Mobility provided the electrification system equipment.

The line is operated by the joint venture Empresa Operadora Metro de Medellín Transdev, in which the French company Transdev and the Colombian Metro de Medellín own shares of 51% and 49%, respectively.

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The official opening ceremony of the line took place on December 21, 2022, but passenger services only began on May 2, 2023, due to several issues, including difficulties with the fare payment system.

However, despite these challenges, the metro line gained popularity among residents and visitors in the first days of operation, surpassing the projected 400,000 daily passengers.

Picture: ACCIONA

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