Mexico City readies US$850mn upgrade for metro line No. 1

The government of Mexico City plans to award in 2Q20 a US$850mn tender to modernize almost 19km of the capital’s oldest metro line, line No. 1.

The contract includes the purchase of 30 new trains, rehabilitation of 10 existing trains and the replacement of the line's autopilot system, according to government project tracker site Mexico Projects Hub, which recently updated the tender calendar for the project under the public-private partnership model.

Although the rehabilitation plan was announced last year and funds were approved in December, authorities are thought to have brought forward the tender for the works after a crash on the 20-station line on March 10 left one person dead and more than 40 injured.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation, but Mexican media have suggested it occurred due to a brake failure and that the age of the line was a contributing factor. 

Metro system operator STC launched a survey on March 20 to receive questions and comments on the project. The operator will host a meeting to present the project and answer questions on April 7, according to a statement.

The administration of city mayor Claudia Sheinbaum also has other expansion and modernization plans mapped out for the entire 12-line, 226km and 195-station metro network.

Metro line No. 1, also known as the pink line, is 50 years old and it transports an estimated 1.14mn passengers per day, making it one of the most heavily used lines. 

PROJECT DETAILS

The modernization project is divided into three components: rolling stock, tracks and a new control system to automate the operation of the trains. 

The first component includes the acquisition of 30 new trains and the maintenance of the formations over the next 19 years, as well as the rehabilitation of 10 existing trains owned by operator STC. Each of the 30 new trains will have nine cars, according to Mexico Projects Hub. 

The second component entails the rehabilitation and replacement of the tracks and the electrical system. The project also calls for the replacement of various components on the line such as guide bars, sleepers, ballasts and insulation joints, among others. 

Lastly, the third component involves replacing the current autopilot system (PA-135) with a continuous communications-based train control (CBTC) system. 

The winning consortium or company will have up to four years to ensure all 30 new trains are operable, seven years to maintain the trains and line itself and 15 years to maintain the control system, the project tracker states. 

The modernization of this line will be comprehensive, as the line connects with 10 of the 11 existing lines, as well as most of the lines of the Metrobús BRT system and the first lines projected for the future Cablebús cable car systems.

TENDER AND FINANCING

According to the calendar, STC launched the tender for the project in 1Q20. The operator will receive bids and later announce the winner of the 19-year contract in 2Q20 before signing the contract in 3Q20, with the expectation of beginning construction in 2021 and operations in 2024. It is still unclear whether the line will be partially closed while the works are carried out. 

Almost 39bn pesos (US$1.6bn) from the city's 2020 spending budget was approved unanimously by Mexico City’s congress in early December to carry out a series of rehabilitation works on the metro network. The city will pay this debt over the length of the contract during the next 19 years.  

The 17.7bn pesos that Mexico Projects Hub outlines for the project are earmarked for the purchase of the 30 new trains and also to help authorities save on future maintenance costs.

Another 2bn pesos will be invested over the same period to rehabilitate the tracks and modernize the electrical and electronic systems, helping improve train speeds and thus reduce travel times. The funds will also be used to carry out re-leveling works on 18km of the line, as well as in some service yard areas.

Meanwhile, 3bn pesos will be invested through 2021 for the implementation the CBTC system – one of the most modern railway signaling systems in the world – which will serve to increase service frequency on the line from 30 to 36 trains per hour.

Authorities also announced that 300mn pesos will be spent between 2019 and 2024 to turn the analog PAM50 automatic piloting system that the metro system currently uses into a digital one.

Another 3.2bn pesos will be invested through 2021 to modernize power supply at the Buen Tono high-voltage substation to replace 17 smaller substations and to wire power supply to line No. 1. These measures will serve to power lines No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 more efficiently, benefiting 3.1mn passengers per day.

Photo credit: STC