Santo Domingo metro Line 2C extension opens in Los Alcarrizos

Santo Domingo metro Line 2C extension opened on February 25, as reported by International Railway Journal. President Luis Abinader inaugurated the new section in the Dominican Republic’s capital. The 7.3 km extension to Line 2 adds five stations, running from María Montez to Pablo Adón Guzmán in Los Alcarrizos, where it connects with the city’s cable car system.

Santo Domingo metro Line 2C extension: route and infrastructure

The Los Alcarrizos metro extension is intended to improve access in the densely populated west of Santo Domingo. Also, the extended line connects 14 communities and is described as serving around 1 million people.

In addition, the Line 2C five new stations are delivered on a section that includes a 900 m tunnel, with the remainder built as an elevated alignment. Journeys on Line 2C will be free from February 25 until Easter week at the beginning of April.

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“Thousands of Dominicans in this area have spent up to an hour-and-a-half per trip to reach their jobs or study centres,” Abinader says. “With this line, the entire journey between stations can be completed in just 10 minutes, and the total savings during peak hours can reach up to 2 hours a day.”

Alstom Metropolis trains for Line 2C and Opret contract

Separately, Alstom Metropolis trains will be supplied for Line 2C under an agreement signed in April 2024 with the Office for the Reorganisation of Transport (Opret), as noted by Alstom. The same April 2024 contract is also referenced by Railway Supply. The contract covers eight three-car Metropolis trains for the new Santo Domingo metro Line 2C extension.

Meanwhile, the trains were manufactured at Alstom’s plant in Barcelona and are able to run in multiple, including with the legacy fleet operating on Line 2. Alstom has previously supplied 52 Metropolis trains to Santo Domingo, which are used on the 13.9 km Line 2 and the 14.5 km Line 1.

Cabei loan and Line 2C project budget

Still, the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (Cabei) supported the project with a $US 250m loan repayable over 20 years. The funding was provided to finance the estimated $US 550.2m Line 2C project, which delivered the Los Alcarrizos metro extension and its five new stations.

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