Mexico, which is one of the most populated cities on earth, with 21.3 million inhabitants, began construction of its metro network in 1967. Today it carries more than 4.5 million passengers a day.

SYSTRA has worked on the construction of the metro from the outset, which involved a technology transfer between France and Mexico. Today the network boasts 11 lines comprising a total of 201.7 km and 175 stations. The first nine lines are dedicated to the federal district with only lines A and B extending beyond this area.

Line B, the last line to be built, was completed in 2000 and links the city centre to the north-east suburb. It is 23.7 km long and has 21 stations. It uses a SACEM type automatic operating system. The rolling stock with rubber tyres, which was initially designed and manufactured in France, is now built in Mexico.

For civil engineering work, it was necessary to take into account the specific geology of Mexico, which is located in a seismic area. The line consists of 5.9 km of tunnel, 4.4 km of viaducts and 13 km of slab.

SYSTRA provided technical assistance for the engineering of the « core system », drawing up of technical specifications, testing of the equipment at the factory and on-site inspection supervision, as well as the launch of the service. SYSTRA also contributed to civil engineering work.

Key Dates

• 1993 : line B studies begin ;
• 1994 : start of works ;
• 1999 : inauguration of first section ; and
• 2000 : launch of second section.

Key Figures

• length : 23.7 km ;
• stations : 21 ;
• number of trains : 32, with nine coaches ; and
• number of passengers:255,000 per day.

Tweeter