The official inauguration took place on December 3, 2023, in the presence of the Mayor of the Metropolitan District of Quito, Mr. Pabel Muñoz López, the capital's elected officials and representatives of Transdev and Metro de Medellín.
Built at an altitude of 2,850 meters in a 22.6 km tunnel, it is the highest metro line in the world. Its 18 trains run through 15 stations between Quitumbe in the south and El Labrador in the north, serving the city center. The entire line will take 34 minutes to complete, a time saving of one and a half hours before the line was built. The six-car trains have a total length of 109 meters.
Capable of handling 400,000 passengers a day, it operates Monday to Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., offering 17 and a half hours of daily service. On Saturdays, trains run from 07:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.; on Sundays and public holidays from 07:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. By 2024, multimodal integration with Quito's transportation system is planned, providing access to BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) and trolleybus stations, some of which run on exclusive lanes.
Press release
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Empresa Operadora Metro de Medellín Transdev (EOMMT) has been created, the fruit of an alliance between Metro de Medellín and Transdev, two companies which together have over 100 years’ experience in the operation of trains, metros, and other integrated transportation systems. Metro de Medellín and Transdev’s partnership is founded on a commitment to safe operations and a culture that places driver and staff training at the heart of the system. This is what made it possible to meet the challenge of launching commercial operation of Quito’s first metro.
December 1, 2023 marks an important milestone in the history of public transportation in Ecuador: it's the start of commercial operations for the country's very first metro line. With its route and connections to transportation networks, this metro becomes the capital's new mobility backbone. Finally, it's a further sign of Transdev's reinforcement in South America, where we are committed, like everywhere else in the world, to ever more decarbonized and sustainable urban mobility, serving the common good.
Thierry Mallet, Chairman and CEO of Transdev.
For the record
This metro line has been built, since 2016, by an international consortium led by Acciona (public works and civil engineering). Bombardier/Alstom (signaling), Siemens (electrification) and CAF (rolling stock) were the chosen suppliers. The project was financed for $2 billion (USD) by a consortium of four multilateral banks: Development Bank of Latin America, Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank and the European Investment Bank.