The Mexico City Metro (Spanish: Metro de la Ciudad de México) is a rapid transit system serving Greater Mexico City, including parts of the State of Mexico. Operated by the Sistema de Transporte Colectivo (STC), it is the second-largest rapid transit system in North America after the New York City Subway and forms part of the Mexico City Integrated Mobility System.
The first line opened on 4 September 1969 with 12.7 kilometres (7.9 mi) of route and 16 stations. The system was last extended in 2015 and now comprises 12 lines, 195 stations, and just over 200 kilometres (124 mi) of route. Ten lines use rubber-tired trains, a technology adopted in part because of Mexico City's unstable soils. The system remained largely operational following the 1985 Mexico City earthquake.
Of the system's 195 stations, 44 serve two or more lines as transfer stations. Many stations are named after historical figures, places, and events in Mexican history. All lines operate daily from 5 a.m. to midnight.
Concept of the Metro and early plans
By the second half of the twentieth century, Mexico City had serious public transport issues, with congested main roads and highways, especially in the downtown zone, where 40 percent of the daily trips in the city were concentrated. 65 of the 91 lines of bus and electric transport served this area. With four thousand units in addition to 150,000 personal automobile peak hours, the average speed was less than walking pace.
The principal promoter of the construction of the Mexico City Metro was engineer Bernardo Quintana, who was in charge of the construction company Ingenieros Civiles y Asociados (Civil Engineers and Associates). He carried out a series of studies that resulted in a draft plan which would ultimately lead to the construction of the Mexico City Metro. This plan was shown to different authorities of Mexico City but it was not made official until 29 April 1967, when the Government Gazette ("Diario Oficial de la Federación") published the presidential decree that created a public decentralized organization, the Sistema de Transporte Colectivo, with the proposal to build, operate and run an underground rapid transit network as part of Mexico City's public transport system.
The Mexico City Metro benefited from a great amount of technical assistance provided by France. RATP's engineering branch SOFRETU played a major role in its initial planning and the design of the first lines, hence the choice of tyre/rail technology.
On 19 June 1967, at the crossroads of Chapultepec Avenue with Avenida Bucareli, the inauguration ceremony for the Mexico City Metro took place. Two years later, on 4 September 1969, an orange train made the inaugural trip between Zaragoza and Insurgentes stations, thus beginning daily operation that continues to this day.
The first stage of construction comprised the construction, done by Grupo ICA, and inauguration of lines 1, 2 and 3. This stage involved engineers, geologists, mechanics, civil engineers, chemists, hydraulic and sanitation workers, electricians, archaeologists, and biologists; specialists in ventilation, statistics, computation, and in traffic and transit; accountants, economists, lawyers, workers and laborers.
Between 1,200 and 4,000 specialists and 48,000 workers participated, building at least one kilometre (0.62 mi) of track per month, the fastest rate of construction ever for a subway. During this stage of construction, workers uncovered two archaeological ruins, one Aztec idol, and the bones of a mammoth (on display at Talismán station).
By the end of the first stage, namely on 10 June 1972, the STC Metro had 48 stations and a total length of 41.41 kilometres (25.73 mi): Line 1 ran from Observatorio to Zaragoza, Line 2 from Tacuba southwest to Tasqueña and line 3 from Tlatelolco to Hospital General in the south, providing quick access to the General Hospital of Mexico.
No further progress was reached during President Luis Echeverría's government, but during José López Portillo's administration, a second stage began. The Comisión Ejecutiva del Metro (Executive Technical Commission of Mexico City Metro) was created in order to be in charge of expanding the STC Metro within the metropolitan area of Mexico City.
Works began with the expansion of Line 3 towards the north from Tlatelolco to La Raza in 1978 and to the current terminal Indios Verdes in 1979, and towards the south from Hospital General to Centro Médico in 1980 and to Zapata months later. Construction of lines 4 and 5 was begun and completed on 26 May – 30 August 1982, respectively; the former from Martín Carrera to Santa Anita and the latter from Politécnico to Pantitlán. Line 4 was the first STC Metro line built as an elevated track, owing to the lower density of big buildings.
Third stage (1983–1985), and the 1985 earthquake
This construction stage took place from the beginning of 1983 through the end of 1985. Lines 1, 2 and 3 were expanded to their current lengths, and new lines 6 and 7 were built. The length of the network was increased by 35.29 kilometres (21.93 mi) and the number of stations to 105.
Line 3's route was expanded from Zapata station to Universidad station on 30 August 1983. Line 1 was expanded from Zaragoza to the current terminal Pantitlán, and line 2 from Tacuba to the current terminal Cuatro Caminos. These last two were both inaugurated on 22 August 1984.
Line 6's route first ran from El Rosario to Instituto del Petróleo; Line 7 was opened from Tacuba to Barranca del Muerto and runs along the foot of the Sierra de las Cruces mountain range that surrounds the Valley of Mexico at its west side, outside of the ancient lake zone. This made it possible for Line 7 to be built as a deep-bore tunnel.
On the morning of 19 September 1985, a magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck Mexico City. Many buildings as well as streets were left with major damage making transportation on the ground difficult, but the STC Metro was not damaged because a rectangular structure had been used instead of arches, making it resistant to earthquakes, thus proving to be a safe means of transportation in a time of crisis.