All Latin America articles
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In depthMexico: Government fosters rail revival
Fresh impetus has been injected into the rail business in Mexico thanks to initiatives by the government of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Regulatory changes plus a long-term vision promise a revival that could include reinstating passenger services in addition to the Tren Maya project already in hand. Stefan von Mach reports.
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NewsFirst stage of Retiro terminus modernisation completed
ARGENTINA: The first stage of a complex rebuilding of the Mitre suburban railway’s Retiro terminus in Buenos Aires has been completed with a ceremony attended by Minister of Transport, Diego Giuliano. Services on the Mitre Railway’s JL Suárez and Tigre branches resumed running into Retiro on ...
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In depthBrazil: Private participation keeps metro momentum building
Led by São Paulo, Brazilian cities are making use of private sector funding and operating models to accelerate urban rail development across the country. Benjámin Zelki reports.
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Metro Report InternationalSão Paulo plans longer Line 20 following monorail cancellation
Photo: Benjamin Zelki BRAZIL: A consortium of GPO, Geocompany and Geotec has been awarded a contract covering preliminary engineering design and an environmental impact study for the planned Line 20 metro in São Paulo. The contract is worth R$5∙3m and work is due for completion within 32 ...
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Metro Report InternationalMexico City expands urban cable car network
Cablebus 2 MEXICO: Italian manufacturer Leitner ropeways announced on March 2 that a further two Cablebús 2 urban cable car lines are expected to open in Mexico City by mid-2021. The two routes totalling 10·6 km are under construction in the southeastern district of Iztapalapa at cost ...
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Metro Report InternationalSalvador monorail construction starts
Skyrail Bahia BRAZIL: The Skyrail Bahia consortium led by Chinese conglomerate BYD and Metrogreen began construction of the 19·2 km Orange monorail line in Salvador, on February 12. The R$2bn project includes two lines to be constructed in the state capital under a public-private partnership ...
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Metro Report InternationalPanamá approves Line 2 extension
PANAMÁ: Panamá Metro approved plans for a 2 km extension of Line 2 connecting the ITSE vocational school to Tocumen Airport on February 12. The US$42·7m extension will be designed and built by the GdE Consortium of Alstom, Thales, Sofratesa, CIM and TSO, which built the 21 ...
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Metro Report InternationalGoiânia on-demand minibuses complete first year
BRAZIL: Latin America’s on-demand shuttle ride service completed a year of operation on February 18, having carried 80 000 passengers. The CityBus 2.0 project launched in Goiás’ state capital Goiânia in February 2019 with 15 minibuses covering 11 neighbourhoods, before expanding to a fleet of 40 vehicles ...
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Metro Report InternationalSão Paulo Metro develops a station navigation system for blind passengers
BRAZIL: Metrô de São Paulo has developed an infrared navigation system to help blind passengers navigate stations. The ‘Siga Fácil’ system uses an infrared receptor device that attaches to a user’s mobile phones to receive directions from transmitters installed throughout a station. The directions can then be ...
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Metro Report InternationalBogotá Metro changes metro and BRT lines
COLOMBIA: The Mayor of Bogotá Claudia López has announced a new transport plan for the city, including the extension of the future Bogotá Metro’s first line and a change of the proposed Transmilenio bus rapid transit route. The 4·1km metro extension would run from Calle 72 to ...
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Metro Report InternationalBogotá Regiotram de Occidente contract awarded
COLOMBIA: A contract to design, build and operate the 39·6 km Regiotram de Occidente inter-urban commuter line linking Bogotá with its western suburbs was signed by China Civil Engineering Construction Corp on Janaury 7. The subsidiary of China Railway Construction Corp was sole bidder for the ...
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Metro Report InternationalSão Paulo Line 15 extended further
BRAZIL: An extension of São Paulo metro Line 15 from Jardim Planalto to São Mateus opened to passengers on December 16. Services initially run only on weekdays between 10.00 and 15.00, with full operation due to begin in January. Test running started on November 11. The three-station ...
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Metro Report InternationalRio suburban trains slowly return to service after traction fault
Photo: Benjámin Zelki BRAZIL: Six more electric multiple-units returned to service on the SuperVia suburban rail network serving Rio de Janeiro on December 2, after being taken out of service in November because of traction equipment faults. SuperVia withdrew 40 of its CRRC-built EMUs from service on ...
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Metro Report InternationalSouth Korean consortium to build third Panamá City metro line
PANAMA: Metro de Panamá has selected a South Korean consortium as preferred bidder to carry out civil works on the capital’s third metro line. The HPH joint venture of Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co, POSCO and Hyundai Engineering Co has been chosen for the 54-month contract. It ...
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Metro Report InternationalBYD to supply 379 electric buses to Bogotá
COLOMBIA: Bogotá transport authority TransMilenio has ordered 379 electric buses from BYD, the Chinese supplier announced on November 15. The first vehicles from what BYD says is its largest order for the Latin American market would be delivered in mid-2020, and would enter revenue service in September. ...
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Metro Report InternationalWork to resume on São Paulo metro Line 6 as Acciona comes on board
Photo: Benjámin Zelki BRAZIL: São Paulo State Transport Secretary Alexandre Baldy has confirmed that Acciona intends to buy a majority stake in the Move São Paulo consortium, so that construction of São Paulo metro Line 6 can resume. Construction of the 15·3 km north-south route also known ...
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Metro Report InternationalRio de Janeiro tram network completed
The first phase of the tramway opened in 2016. BRAZIL: The final section of the VLT Carioca tram network in Rio de Janeiro was inaugurated on October 26, with passenger services beginning at noon. The opening of 1·3 km of new alignment adds a third route to ...
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Metro Report InternationalBogotá metro concessionaire selected
COLOMBIA: The APCA Transmimetro consortium was announced as preferred bidder to build and operate the first phase of the Bogotá metro on October 17. The contract is expected to be signed within 45 days. APCA Transmimetro comprises China Harbor Engineering Co, Xi’an Metro Co, CRRC ...
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Metro Report InternationalMixed success in São Paulo
The São Paulo urban rail network is expanding as the city’s suburbs grow rapidly. But some projects are stuck, and solutions need to be found to deal with overcrowding. Benjámin Zelki reports.
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Metro Report InternationalPrivate sector drives Brazilian urban rail revival
The private sector is expected to play a crucial role in meeting Brazil’s urban rail needs.