BRAZIL: President Dilma Rousseff inaugurated the first phase of the Salvador metro on June 11, two days before the city is due to host its first FIFA World Cup match.
The 7·3 km section of Line 1 between Lapa and Retiro is running in trial mode until mid-September. Until the end of June the metro will operate from 12.00 to 16.00 Monday to Friday, with the start of services gradually moving 1 h earlier every month until full service starts on September 16. Services will run at 10 min headways and at reduced speed, so that final adjustments can be made before the start of full service. Travel will be free during this time.
On World Cup match days services will run for 5 h before kick-off until 3 h after the end of the match, and will be restricted to match ticket holders.
Construction of the metro started in 2000, but work was halted and only restarted in 2013 following government intervention. The full 12 km line is due to open in 2015, when it will run to Pirajá. Line 2, which will serve Salvador International Airport, is due for completion in April 2017.
Services are operated by six four-car trainsets supplied by a Mitsui-Hyundai Rotem consortium and delivered in 2008. An order for a further 49 trainsets was placed with Rotem and Iesa earlier this year.
