Metrotranvía Mendoza

The Metrotranvía Mendoza (Spanish for Mendoza Light Rail or fast tramway) is a public light rail transport system for the city of Mendoza, Argentina, served by articulated light rail cars operating on newly relaid tracks in former-General San Martín Railway mainline right-of-way.

Metrotranvía Mendoza
One of the ex-San Diego cars in 2015 at the "Mendoza" station, then the northern terminus
Overview
OwnerMendoza Province
LocaleMendoza, Argentina
Transit typeLight rail
Number of lines1
Number of stations16
Daily ridership5,000 (2013)[1]
Operation
Began operation8 October 2012[2]
Operator(s)Empresa Provincial de Transporte de Mendoza (EPTM)
Number of vehicles11
Technical
System length17 km (11 mi)[3]
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification600 V DC, overhead lines

The 12.5-kilometre (7.8 mi) line runs between Mendoza and General Gutierrez in Maipú, on 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge double-track rail. The Metrotranvía of Mendoza serves the metropolitan area of Mendoza, which includes the departments of Las Heras, Central district, Godoy Cruz, Maipú and Luján de Cuyo. Service operates from 6:00 to 22:00. The line has been named the Línea Verde, or Green Line.[2] The line operates on the right-hand side as its former U.S. light rail rolling stock is configured, in contrast to the left-handed operation of the majority of the Argentine railway network.

History

In 2009 the Government of Mendoza Province signed an agreement to build a tram line between the cities of Mendoza and Maipú, at an estimated cost of AR$ 62,449,732.[4][5] Works were carried out by private companies Construcciones Electromecánicas del Oeste S.A. (CEOSA) and SOGESIC S.A.[6][7][8]

An inauguration ceremony was held in February 2012,[2] but service did not begin at that time, as much of the construction work remained to be completed.[9] Starting on 29 April 2012 passengers were permitted to ride on occasional demonstration/trial services on a portion of the line. The system finally opened for regular service on 8 October 2012.[2]

Future plans

Construction is currently under way, as of early 2015, to extend the Metrotranvía to Panquehua, in Las Heras, adding an extra 5.5 kilometres (3.4 mi) of double track to the original route.[10] The rail for this extension was manufactured in Spain while the concrete sleepers were manufactured in Argentina.[11][12][13] This extension includes the construction of new level crossings, as well as the refurbishment of old railway stations.[13] As of April 2018, this new section was projected to open in February 2019.[14]

Another project currently planned will extend the line 4.8 km (3 mi) from Panquehua to El Plumerillo International Airport, and add another 15 km (9.3 mi) branch from the intermediate Godoy Cruz stop to Luján de Cuyo.[15]

Rolling stock

The service is provided by eleven Siemens–Duewag U2 light-rail vehicles (LRVs) acquired secondhand from the San Diego Trolley system in San Diego, California.[16][17] By November 2011, about half of these had arrived in Mendoza,[18] and the delivery was completed with the final two cars arriving on 27 April 2012.[19]

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See also

References
  1. Zavala Tello, Ignacio (20 August 2013). "El Metrotranvía cumplió un año y tiene 5.000 usuarios por día" [The Metrotranvía has been in service for one year and has 5,000 users per day]. Diario Uno (in Spanish). Mendoza, Argentina. Retrieved 2014-10-26.
  2. "Mendoza light rail service begins" (December 2012). Tramways & Urban Transit, p. 451. LRTA Publishing. ISSN 1460-8324.
  3. "Ya ejecutaron el 55% de las obras del metrotranvía" ["55% of the work on the Metrotranvía is completed"] Archived 2013-05-21 at the Wayback Machine, Jornada Online (in Spanish), 20 July 2010.
  4. "Firman el contrato para las obras del metrotranvía", Mendoza Económico, 12 February 2009.
  5. "Comenzarán a construir el Metrotranvía", Mendoza Online
  6. "Se viene el metrotranvía urbano, nomás", Truveo, 2009
  7. "Metrotranvía deal signed", Railway Gazette, 9 July 2013.
  8. "Proyecto de Metrotranvía" Archived 2015-04-02 at the Wayback Machine, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, 12 March 2009.
  9. Tramways & Urban Transit magazine, May 2012, p. 193. LRTA Publishing.
  10. Adiós a los viejos durmientes de madera: llegó el hormigón para el Metrotranvía - Los Andes, 2 July 2015.
  11. "Metrotranvía: mientras esperan que lleguen los rieles de España se hacen trabajos secundarios", Diario Uno, 19 January 2015.
  12. "Preparan el terreno para los rieles del Metrotranvía a Las Heras", Los Andes, 22 January 2015.
  13. Cómo es el novedoso sistema constructivo del nuevo tramo del Metrotranvía - Jornada Online, 2 July 2015
  14. Fayad, Federico (3 April 2018). "El Metrotranvía a Las Heras funcionará a pleno en febrero de 2019" [The Metrotranvía to Las Heras will be fully operational in February 2019]. Los Andes (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 3 April 2018. Retrieved 2018-11-18.
  15. "Proyectos para los recorridos del Metrotranvía al Aeropuerto, Luján y Maipú", Diario Uno, 19 January 2015.
  16. "San Diego U2 Trolleys successfully operate in Argentina", San Diego Metropolitan Transit System, 9 March 2010.
  17. Tramways & Urban Transit magazine, November 2010, p. 428. LRTA Publishing. ISSN 1460-8324.
  18. Tramways & Urban Transit magazine, January 2012, p. 27. LRTA Publishing.
  19. Tramways & Urban Transit magazine, July 2012, p. 272. LRTA Publishing.

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