Quito Metro

Quito Metro
Train arriving at Universidad Central station
Overview
Native name	Metro de Quito
Locale	Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador
Transit type	Rapid transit
Number of lines	1
Number of stations	15
Website	Metro de Quito (in Spanish)
Operation
Began operation	1 December 2023
Number of vehicles	18 CAF MQ117 EMUs [1]
Technical
System length	22 km (14 mi) [2]
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	1,500 V DC from overhead catenary
Average speed	37 kilometres per hour (23 mph) [1]
System map Show map Legend Quitumbe Morán Valverde Solanda Cardenal de la Torre El Recreo La Magdalena San Francisco La Alameda El Ejido Universidad Central Pradera La Carolina Iñaquito Jipijapa El Labrador This diagram: view talk edit Show route diagram

The Quito Metro (Spanish : Metro de Quito), abbreviated as MDQ, is a rapid transit system consisting of a single line in Quito, the capital of Ecuador.

History

Construction on the main south and north stations began in December 2012. Construction of the metro line itself began in January 2016. ^[3] The metro was projected to be operational by August 2020, ^[4] but the opening was delayed numerous times.

The official inauguration was held on 21 December 2022, ^[5] and commercial service started with some tests with passengers on 2 May 2023. ^[6] After technical problems plagued the launch, service was shut down on 11 May. ^[7] Later that year, the Quito metro initiated its commercial operations on 1 December 2023. ^[8]

System

The system's first line, which includes 15 stations, extends from Quitumbe in the south of the city to El Labrador in the north of the city. The 15 stations on this line are, from north to south: ^[9]

• El Labrador
• Jipijapa
• Iñaquito
• La Carolina
• Pradera
• Universidad Central
• El Ejido
• La Alameda
• San Francisco
• La Magdalena
• El Recreo
• Cardenal de la Torre
• Solanda
• Morán Valverde
• Quitumbe

The station at Plaza de San Francisco (by the San Francisco monastery), is the only station placed in the historic center of Quito (declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1978). ^[3] Due to archaeological remains found at the proposed site of the San Francisco station in late 2016, the station was moved two blocks further south to the Plaza 24th of May, and the remains will not be disturbed further.

Every station is painted in a distinct color to help with passenger orientation. ^[10]

The design of Line 1 allows for five infill stations to be built if demand warrants, and for a potential 5 km extension northwards to the Ofelia bus terminal.

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Network map

References

1. "First Quito metro train delivered". September 6, 2018. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
2. "La línea del metro de Quito será subterránea". 22 June 2011.
3. Osava, Mario (30 November 2016). "Subway Will Modernise – and Further Gentrify – Historic Centre of Quito". Inter Press Service . Retrieved 20 December 2016.
4. "La tarifa es el talón de Aquiles del Metro de Quito". El Comercio (in Spanish). 6 August 2019. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
5. "Phased opening of Quito Metro kicks off in Ecuador". Archived from the original on 2023-01-21.
6. Schwandl, Robert. "Quito". urbanrail.
7. "Estas son las razones por las que el Metro de Quito suspendió actividades". El Comercio (in Spanish). 11 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
8. "Así fue el primer día de operación comercial del Metro de Quito" [This was the first day of commercial operations of Quito Metro] (in Spanish). Primicias. December 2023. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
9. "El Proyecto - Introducción" [The Project - Introduction] (in Spanish). Metro de Quito. Archived from the original on 2015-03-21. Retrieved 2015-03-31.
10. "La ciudad recibe las estaciones Jipijapa e Iñaquito del Metro de Quito". Quito Metro. 3 May 2021. Archived from the original on 26 March 2023. Retrieved 4 March 2023.

External links

• Metro de Quito – official website (in Spanish)
• Quito on UrbanRail.net