The subway that will change Quito

15 stations completed, 42 of 45 km of railways built, 3 of 18 trains available, 80% completion overall. Metro de Quito, one of the most recurrent demands of the people of Quito, already has a tunnel system that will start mobilizing in less than seven months more than 400,000 passengers per day.  

Luis Pachacama, a 40-year experienced electrician, knows he will be one of them. Today it takes him more than one hour and a half to transfer from Solanda, in the south of the city, to El Labrador, in the north, but with the new subway, he will save one hour a day (20 hours per month), which he can share with his family or spend in other leisure or work activities. “It will save me a long time to go to work, and I could spend more time with my children,” says Pachacama.

With the construction of the subway, the city is engaging in the largest urban project in its history, favoring efficient urban mobility to encourage productivity, reduce traffic congestion and converge the current modes of transport. This, according to experts, will substantially improve the quality of life of the population, especially the most vulnerable groups, while bringing new sources of economic development around stations.

Gladys Acosta, a teacher at La Alameda school, near a subway station, will also use the new public transport system. She notes with great satisfaction that, with the subway, she and her students will come to school earlier, maximizing the school day and returning home earlier.

The same applies for many other women and men who, in addition to saving commute time, may become more productive, adding value and knowledge to their daily work. 

The first line of Metro de Quito consists of 22 km of tunnels between the ground terminal of Quitumbe (south of the city) and the south gateway of the old Mariscal Sucre airport at El Labrador (north of the city), with 15 stations, 18 trains with 108 wagons and an average travel time of 34 minutes between the two terminals. The first test runs with passengers are currently underway, from Iñaquito station, where facilities have been completed. 

For more than 3 years, some 5,000 workers have advanced the construction in different areas of this initiative, which has been funded by CAF—development bank of Latin America—, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank and the European Investment Bank.

“This project is critical to the future of Quito and Ecuador, as it not only solves traffic problems, but will also improve connectivity, will help reduce emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases and, ultimately, will produce a more competitive, friendly, productive and inclusive city,” said Bernardo Requena, CAF representative in Ecuador.  

The multilateral agency contributed with US$402 million for the construction of the Quito underground system, which accounts for 20% of the total cost of the project and 22.7% of the external financing by international financial organizations. 

Metro de Quito will become the eleventh subway system in Latin America. The common feature in all of them is that they have improved the conditions of public transport, while reducing travel times and relieving vehicular traffic. In Lima, for example, the subway mobilizes about 360,000 people in a fast, efficient and safe manner. 

Mauricio Rodas, Mayor of Quito, said that the project was made possible by working together with the national government, the contribution of multilateral agencies that have financed the project and the city’s government. “We have done our best to have the subway become a reality, and we are confident that the next administration will do the same to meet the deadline, and start operations by the end of 2019,” explained Rodas. 

“This is the most beautiful project in Ecuador. At my age I can say that we can be proud of this project, which will change the lives of many people, including mine,” said Jaime Andrade, a retired accountant.