Mexico City Metro

Trains help people move in a big city.

This train system has 12 lines. It has 195 stations. Some stations are under the ground. Some are high in the air.

Most trains use rubber wheels. These wheels help the ride stay smooth. This is good for the soft soil. Some trains also use steel tracks. One station even shows old bones!

These trains help people travel every day.

The Mexico City Metro is a huge train system.

It helps people move around a very big city. The system has 12 lines and 195 stations. Some stations are underground. Others are on the surface or high in the air.

Many lines use rubber tires instead of steel wheels. This is called pneumatic traction. These rubber tires make the ride smooth and quiet. This helps because the soil in the city is unstable.

Building the Metro was a giant job. Many experts helped, including engineers and even biologists. While digging, workers found old Aztec ruins and even mammoth bones!

The Metro is also very strong. It survived a big earthquake in 1985. The tunnels used rectangular shapes to stay safe. Most lines run from 5 a.m. until midnight. Some stations are special transfer stations. These allow riders to switch between different lines. Many stations have art to teach people about history.

The Mexico City Metro is a huge rapid transit system.

It helps millions of people travel through a very large city. This system is the second largest in North America. It is even larger than the New York City Subway in some ways. The Metro has 12 different lines and 195 stations.

Some stations are deep underground. Others are on the surface or high up on elevated tracks. Many stations are transfer stations, which let riders switch between lines. These are called "correspondencias" in Spanish. Many stations also feature art to teach riders about Mexican history.

Most of the Metro lines use a special way to move. Instead of using steel wheels, ten of the lines use rubber tires. This is called pneumatic traction. This method makes the trains ride much smoother and quieter. It is also very helpful for the city's unstable soil.

Some newer lines, like Line 12, use traditional steel railway tracks instead. Line 12 is the longest line in the entire system. It opened to the public on 30 October 2012. This line connects the southern part of the city to other main lines.

Building the Metro was a massive project that took many years. An engineer named Bernardo Quintana was the main leader for the construction. He created a draft plan to solve traffic problems in the city. The government made the plan official on 29 April 1967.

The system received technical help from experts in France. The first orange train began its first trip on 4 September 1969. This trip went between the Zaragoza and Insurgentes stations. Since then, the system has grown through many different stages of construction.

Thousands of people worked together to build these tracks. Between 1,200 and 4,000 specialists helped with the work. There were also about 48,000 workers on the job. They built track at a very fast rate.

While they were digging, they found amazing things from the past. Workers uncovered Aztec ruins and an Aztec idol. They even found the bones of a mammoth! These bones are now on display at the Talismán station. This shows how the modern city sits on top of ancient history.

The Metro is also built to be very strong. It survived a huge magnitude 8.0 earthquake in 1985. Many buildings were damaged, but the Metro stayed safe. This happened because the tunnels used a rectangular structure.

This shape helped the tunnels resist the shaking of the earth. Today, most lines run from 5 a.m. until midnight. You can use a smart card called a Tarjeta DF to ride. This makes traveling through the city a smooth and organized way to move.

The Mexico City Metro is a massive rapid transit system serving the metropolitan area of Mexico City. It also serves various municipalities within the State of Mexico. Operated by the Sistema de Transporte Colectivo (STC), it holds the title of the second largest metro system in North America. It follows the New York City Subway in size. This network is vital because it moves millions of people through a dense urban environment.

To understand how the Metro works, one must look at its unique traction methods. Ten of the twelve lines use pneumatic traction. This means the trains use rubber tires instead of traditional steel wheels. This choice was made because pneumatic traction provides a quieter and smoother ride. It is also better suited for the unstable soils found in Mexico City. However, not all lines use this method. Line 12 is the first numbered line to utilize traditional steel railway tracks. Line A, a feeder line, also uses steel tracks and overhead lines to reduce maintenance costs.

The system is composed of various station types and configurations. Of the 195 total stations, 115 are located underground. These underground stations vary in depth, with some reaching far below street level. There are also 54 surface stations and 26 elevated stations.

Connectivity is a major feature of the network. There are 44 transfer stations, known in Spanish as "correspondencias." These stations allow passengers to switch between different lines to reach their destinations.

The history of the Metro began with a need to solve extreme congestion. By the mid-twentieth century, the downtown zone was heavily crowded. Approximately 40 percent of daily trips were concentrated in this area. With massive numbers of buses and personal automobiles, average speeds fell below walking pace. Engineer Bernardo Quintana was the principal promoter of the Metro. He led the construction company Ingenieros Civiles y Asociados. His studies resulted in a draft plan that led to the official presidential decree on 29 April 1967.

This decree created the STC to build and run the underground network. France provided significant technical assistance, specifically through the engineering branch SOFRETU. This partnership heavily influenced the decision to use tire/rail technology.

Construction occurred in several distinct stages. The first stage (1967–1972) focused on Lines 1, 2, and 3. This massive effort involved between 1,200 and 4,000 specialists and 48,000 workers. They achieved the fastest construction rate ever recorded for a subway. During this period, workers discovered historical treasures, including Aztec ruins, an Aztec idol, and mammoth bones.

The second stage (1977–1982) saw the expansion of Line 3 and the creation of Lines 4 and 5. Line 4 was notable for being the first elevated track in the system. The third stage (1983–1985) added Lines 6 and 7, increasing the total stations to 105. Later stages added Line 9, Line A, Line B, and finally Line 12.

A defining moment for the system was the magnitude 8.0 earthquake on 19 September 1985. While many buildings and streets suffered major damage, the STC Metro survived without damage. This resilience was due to the use of rectangular structures instead of arches. This design made the tunnels resistant to the seismic forces of the earthquake.

Although service was temporarily halted to prevent electrocution and allow for surface rescue work, the infrastructure remained intact. This proved the Metro to be a safe and reliable means of transport during a crisis.

The modern system continues to evolve with new technology and expansions. Line 12, which opened on 30 October 2012, is the longest line in the system. It serves the southern part of the city and connects with Lines 2, 3, 7, and 8. This line introduced new rules, such as the prohibition of hawkers inside stations. It also requires the use of a Tarjeta DF smart card for access.

Beyond simple transport, the Metro serves as a cultural tool. Many stations feature art or models to educate riders about Mexican history.

This connection between modern engineering and ancient heritage makes the Metro a unique part of Mexico City's identity.