Monterrey Metro

Sistema de Transporte Colectivo Metrorrey
Info
Owner	Nuevo León state government
Locale	Monterrey, Nuevo León, México
Transit type	Light rail, Rapid transit
Number of lines	2
Number of stations	31
Daily ridership	370,600
Operation
Began operation	1991 (line 1) 1994 (line 2)
Operator(s)	Sistema de Transporte Colectivo Metrorrey
Technical
System length	31 km (19 mi)
System map

The Monterrey Metro (also referred to as Metrorrey) is a fully grade-separated light rail, or metro, system in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. It is the newest of Mexico's metro systems, with operation beginning in 1991. As of October 2008, the system operated 40 high-floor electric trains along 31 km of routes. The system's two lines transported approximately 136.6 million passengers in 2009 and an average daily passenger load of 370,600 passengers in the fourth quarter of 2009.^[1]

Lines

The Monterrey Metro, officially known as Metrorrey has two lines with 31 stations.

Line 1, which opened on April 21, 1991 has 19 stations, runs through the center of the city from the north-west to the eastern part of the Monterrey Metropolitan Area. The line is 18.5 km long, runs parallel to the former 1887 Topo Chico tramline and is grade-separated as it runs on an elevated structure. A complete ride along this line takes about 27 minutes^{[citation needed]}. Line 1 is linked to line 2 at Cuauhtémoc station, located downtown.

Line 2 has 13 stations and is also fully grade-separated, partially on an aerial structure and partially subterranean. The first six-station segment opened in 1994, was 4.5 km long and runs underground. Construction on a USD 200 million expansion of Line 2 began in August 2005. The first segment of the expansion opened in October 2007 and added an additional three stations to the line. The second segment of the expansion was inaugurated on October 9, 2008 by Nuevo León Governor Natividad González Parás and Mexican president Felipe Calderón and added an additional four stations to the line. This last segment runs on an aerial structure in the center of Avenida Universidad. The completed 12.5 km route runs from Sendero to the Macroplaza with a station at the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León.^[2]

Line 1 of the Monterrey Metro

Line 2 of the Monterrey Metro

Passengers

According to Mexico's National Institute of Statistics, Geography and Informatics, Metrorrey carried 136.6 million passengers in 2009 and an average daily passenger load of 370,600 passengers in the fourth quarter of 2009.^[1] Metrorrey is therefore the most widely used light rail system in North America, surpassing even Calgary's C-Train and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's Green Line in Boston.^[3]

Transmetro

Metrorrey also has a bus system that uses exclusive and obligatory stops during its course. It has 9 lines, On Line 1 there are 4 TransMetro Lines (3 in Talleres station and 1 in Exposición station) and on Line 2 there are 5 more Transmetro lines (two at San Nicolas (Santo Domingo and Las Puentes) and three more at Sendero (Montreal, Fomerrey, and Apodaca)). There is no additional fee, other than the standard Metro Ticket, to use Transmetro.

Travel Fare

The following are the travel fares as of 2010.

• Single Trip - MXN4.50 (~USD0.33)
• 2 Trips - MXN8.50 (~USD0.60)
• 4 Trips - MXN16.00 (~USD1.20)
• 5 Trips - MXN20.00 (~USD1.40)
• 6 Trips - MXN24.00 (~USD1.70)
• Metrobus - MXN7.50 (~USD0.55)

Currently the entrance is for free on Sundays.

Metrorrey also offers "Boletos Multiviaje" (multitrip tickets). These tickets are intended for recurrent users and they are sold in denominations ranging from 15 to 85 trips.

Since the opening of the extension of the Line 2, Metrorrey began offering the "Mia" Card, a rechargeable card that can be loaded with multiple trip credits. The "Mia" card can be initially purchased for MXP30 (including 8 trips) and can be recharged in increments ranging from MXP1 to MXP300.

From January 2010, the card has a cost of MXP20 and MXP100 top recharge.

On May 16, 2009, Nuevo León governor Natividad González Parás announced that Metrorrey would be free for the next 60 days, as part of a program to reduce the effects of the economic downturn on citizens.^[4]

Line 3 and various projects

In an interview with Mario Guerrero on January 28th, 2010, Guerrero announced that Line 3 will most likely be headed to Apodaca.^{[citation needed]} The initial plan shows 14 elevated stations, starting from the Félix U. Gomez station.

Line	It links on the Mitras station, through Lincoln Avenue to García.
Line	It would extend to Juárez.
Line	It would depart from the Y Griega station running though the Miguel Alemán Avenue, linking with Rómulo Garza Avenue in San Nicolás
Line	It would link with the San Nicolás station to Santo Domingo. A Transmetro is currently on that track.
Line	On January 28, 2011, the Nuevo León Government announced that according to urban studies, line 3 would depart from the Gynecology Hospital in Félix U. Gomez avenue to la Fé in San Nicolás de los Garza. The project is still being analyzed by the Nuevo Leon State Government authorities.
Line	It would link with the Edison station to downtown Santa Catarina.

Gallery

• 

  Train interior

• 

  Arriving train at Talleres Station

• 

  Looking down into the ticketing area of Estacion Zaragoza

• 

  Ticket vendor

• 

  Metrobus stops at Exposición Station

• 

  Transfer point at Cuauhtemoc Station

• 

  Eloy Cavazos Station

• 

  Parque Fundidora Station

• 

  Félix U. Gómez Station

• 

  General Anaya Station

• 

  Accessibility sign

See also

• Guadalajara Metro
• Mexico City Metro
• Light rail in North America
• List of tram and light-rail transit systems

References

External links

Media related to Monterrey Metro at Wikimedia Commons

• Official Site of Metrorrey
• Urbanrail.net Metrorrey
• Siemens Receives Order to Extend the Metro in Monterrey, Mexico
• The Tramways of Monterrey