Ecuador inaugurates first subway transportation system

The “Metro de Quito” is the first subway system in Ecuador. It was inaugurated on Wednesday (21st) in its first phase of user induction and training, which will last from December 22nd to January 4th, 2023. 

The inauguration ceremony of the eighteen trains with their fifteen stations that make up the fleet in the area of ​​workshops and garages in the southern sector of Quitumbe was presided over by the Mayor of Quito, Santiago Guarderas. 

He hailed the inauguration of the Quito Metro as “a masterpiece” that “will revolutionize mobility across the city.” Guarderas explained that two phases of citizen socialization are planned to familiarize users with the system. The installation of the charging system is still pending and is expected for early 2023.

The “Metro de Quito” will run from north to south over a length of 22.6 kilometers, is 100% barrier-free and is intended to mobilize around 400,000 people every day. 

The US$2.061 billion system will be operated until 2028 by a consortium consisting of Colombia’s Metro de Medellín and France’s Transdev. 

The construction was started in 2010 by the Spanish company Acciona. Test drives will take place from January 5th to March 4th, which are free of charge for users. 

Operations will start as planned on March 5, when the fare of the equivalent of 0.45 cents will be charged.

With information from latinapress

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