The Quito Metro, leading the way as a beacon of sustainable urban transit

With only 76 days into commerical operations, the Quite metro has been used over ten million times, setting a new standard for electromobility in Latin America.

One of the busiest days for the Metro is Fridays, with commuters taking on average over 162,853 trips in a single day. User feedback surveys reveal a 94% satisfaction rate concerning safety which is seen as the most important aspect, while 88% of people rate speedy journeys as the top reason for choosing the metro.

After 11 years of meticulous planning, the Quito Metro is now lauded as Latin America’s most cutting-edge metro network. With 22.6 km in length, 15 stations, and 18 driverless trains, the Metro tackles some of the most critical issues facing Ecuador’s capital and delivers efficient, more sustainable transportation and improved urban connectivity.

The Metro’s route traverses through a long tunnel that links the Quitumbe bus terminal in the south to the former Mariscal Sucre airport in the North in just 34 minutes. This efficient connection reduces the city’s carbon footprint by preventing over 150,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Ayesa has played a pivotal role in this landmark project, overseeing the civil works, refining the initial construction designs, and managing the assembly of railway and electromechanical systems. The company’s responsibilities include quality control, safety measures, and the relocation of water and sanitation networks for over 20,000 urban residents, ensuring a seamless integration of the Metro into the city’s landscape.

Key highlights:

• Built by Acciona, the Quito Metro included an investment of $1.592 billion.
• To facilitate construction, the contractors utilized three massive tunnel boring (TBM) machines, affectionately known as ‘La Guaragua’, ‘La Carolina’, and ‘Luz de América’, with one boring a record-breaking 1,489 meters in just 30 days.
• The systeme is designed to accommodate up to 400,000 daily passengers.
• The project kicked off in January 2013, emphasizing the use of hydroelectric power for clean energy.
• These fully electric trains operate on a 1,500V DC system.
• Station names like Quitumbe, Morán Valverde, and La Carolina are part of a network that boasts a sleek and minimalist design, with a colour palette of red, blue, turquoise, and yellow.