Caracas Metro
Encyclopedia
The Caracas Metro is a mass rapid transit system
serving Caracas
, Venezuela
. It is constructed and operated by Compañía Anónima Metro de Caracas, a government-owned company that was founded in 1977 by José González-Lander
who headed the project for more than thirty years since the early planning stages in the 1960s. Its motto is "Enlazamos nuevos destinos" (translated as either "Linking new destinies" or "We link new destinations").
The Metro
, as it is known among city dwellers, has been a source of pride since its opening in 1983. Built mostly underground, it is one of the greatest engineering accomplishments in the country. The system is well designed and its clean stations have become architectural landmarks in the city.
These lines were built between 1978 and 2006, please note line 2 has 4 terminal stations.
Part of Line 2 was constructed as Line 4, only after its inauguration it was renamed as Line 2. Also one must transfer on line 3 at El Valle station to continue the ride.
Construction of the first phase of Line 4 (now officially renamed line 2) started in 2001; this line runs parallel to Line 1 to the south, and connects Plaza Venezuela station on Line 1 with Capuchinos station on Line 2. It is expected to provide much needed relief to congestion along this segment of Line 1 where most of Metro's ridership is concentrated.
station (now this expanded station with independent platforms connected by overhead walkways is common to both Metro systems) to the suburban city of Los Teques
Alí Primera
(formerly called El Tambor) station back in 2001 and completed November 3, 2006.
IFE train station where connections can be made to and from Charallave
and Cúa
.
of tickets used in the subway and in the Metrobús. An amount of tickets is sold to some middlemen, and these to authorized points of sale, such as kiosks and other commercial establishments. This allows subway users to buy tickets when not being inside a station, thus making them more widely available. The points of sale formally authorized for these operations are identified with the Metroseñal (Metro-sign). Tickets sold at such locals have a price discount of 3%.
Immediate plans include the completion of the second phase of Line 3, which runs from the El Valle station to La Rinconada, the latter being opened on October 2006, and now requires the addition of the intermediate stations (Los Jardines, Coche and Mercado) which were officially opened on January 9, 2010.
The next phases of the Line 2 extension (also known as Line 5 during construction phase) will be constructed and opened by 2012. The first project a 7.5 km extension includes 6 new stations Bello Monte, Las Mercedes, Tamanaco, Chuao, Bello Campo and Parque del Este II station. A separate project to be carried out simultaneously , a further 6.7 km Line 2 extension (also known as Line 5 or Metro Guarenas-Guatire Urban Route during the construction phase) with 4 additional stations will include the following stations Montecristo, Boleíta, El Marques and terminal/transfer station La Urbina (Petare Norte).
The La Urbina station will be also be Caracas Guarenas-Guatire light rail transfer point. This 31.4 km long has already been assigned funds and is expected to be completed by 2012.
Long range plans contemplate expanding the system with two more lines: Line 5 (15 km long) to southeast Caracas, and Line 6 (17 km) that would run parallel to Line 1 to the north.
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
serving Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. It is constructed and operated by Compañía Anónima Metro de Caracas, a government-owned company that was founded in 1977 by José González-Lander
José González-Lander
Jose Gonzalez-Lander was a Caracas, Venezuela born engineer credited for leading the planning, design and construction of the Caracas Metro during an uninterrupted period of more than thirty years, from 1966 to 1997.Mr...
who headed the project for more than thirty years since the early planning stages in the 1960s. Its motto is "Enlazamos nuevos destinos" (translated as either "Linking new destinies" or "We link new destinations").
The Metro
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
, as it is known among city dwellers, has been a source of pride since its opening in 1983. Built mostly underground, it is one of the greatest engineering accomplishments in the country. The system is well designed and its clean stations have become architectural landmarks in the city.
Lines
It currently has the following subway lines in operation:| Line | Section | Extension | Stations | Train to Train Transfer Points | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Propatria ↔ Palo Verde | 20.4 km | 22 | 2 | The original 8 station line began operations on Jan. 2, 1983 and expanded 3 more times, the latest and final rail expansion of this line occurred on Nov. 19, 1989. The Capitolio station was redesigned to allow passenger transfer by way of a passageway to and from the El Silencio station. Also the Plaza Venezuela station was twice remodelled, first to accommodate line 3 transfer (1994) and later a passageway to the Zona Rental station (2006). |
| 2 | El Silencio ↔ Zoológico | 18.6 km | 11 | 9 | A short run service was opened Oct 4, 1987 and fully expanded to El Silencio on Nov 6, 1988. The original line use has changed, before Line 4 opened July 18, 2006 the train from the terminal station El Silencio served both Las Adjuntas and Zoológico terminal stations. |
| 2 & 4 | Las Adjuntas ↔ Zona Rental | 23.1 km | 14 | 10 | Shortly after Line 4 was opened, it was co-named line 2, at this time Caracas Metro makes no distinction between the 2 separate lines other than that they serve distinct terminal stations. |
| 3 | Plaza Venezuela ↔ La Rinconada | 10.4 km | 9 | 2 | The original line opened in Dec. 18, 1994 and operated between Plaza Venezuela and El Valle. In 2006 an extension to La Rinconada began to operate partially (Users had to transfer trains at El Valle stations). In 2010 three new stations were inaugurated and the line became fully operational between Plaza Venezuela and La Rinconada. |
These lines were built between 1978 and 2006, please note line 2 has 4 terminal stations.
Part of Line 2 was constructed as Line 4, only after its inauguration it was renamed as Line 2. Also one must transfer on line 3 at El Valle station to continue the ride.
Construction of the first phase of Line 4 (now officially renamed line 2) started in 2001; this line runs parallel to Line 1 to the south, and connects Plaza Venezuela station on Line 1 with Capuchinos station on Line 2. It is expected to provide much needed relief to congestion along this segment of Line 1 where most of Metro's ridership is concentrated.
Commuter Rail Transfer Points
Los Teques Metro
Construction was initiated from Caracas Metro Las AdjuntasLas Adjuntas
Las Adjuntas is a common station shared by two Venezuelan subway systems, the Caracas Metro and the Los Teques Metro. The station has two platforms that are connected by three pedestrian overpasses. Each platform serves up to two trains from their respected subway systems....
station (now this expanded station with independent platforms connected by overhead walkways is common to both Metro systems) to the suburban city of Los Teques
Los Teques
Los Teques is the capital city of the Venezuelan state of Miranda. Its population is 140,617 .-History:The city was founded in 1777 and was named after the Aractoeques Carabs, an indigenous tribe that once inhabited the area...
Alí Primera
Alí Primera
Alí Rafael Primera Rosell was a musician, composer, poet, and Venezuelan political activist. He was born in Coro, Falcón State, Venezuela on October 31, 1942 and died in Caracas on February 16, 1985...
(formerly called El Tambor) station back in 2001 and completed November 3, 2006.
IFE
Line 3 station La Rinconada is the interchange station between the Caracas Metro and the Caracas Libertador Simón BolívarCaracas Libertador Simón Bolívar
Caracas Libertador Simón Bolívar railway station is found in the southern part of Caracas Venezuela in an area known as La Rinconada. Presently it serves as the only point of arrival or departure by train to or from Caracas. The only branch leaving the station is referred to as Ezequiel Zamora I...
IFE train station where connections can be made to and from Charallave
Charallave
Charallave is a city in the state of Miranda, Venezuela. It is the capital of Cristóbal Rojas Municipality. The name origins of the Cacique Indian....
and Cúa
Cúa
Cúa is a small city capital of the Urdaneta Municipality, located in the Miranda State in the north of Venezuela with an altitude of 490 m...
.
Guarenas / Guatire Metro
A new line with the intention of providing access to the eastern suburban communities. The project consists of 2 parts: First 4 new metro stations within Caracas; Second a 6 stationed light rail service, where both subsystems will transfer at the Guaraira Repano (Petare North) station. In December 2006 the government awarded a 2 billion dollar contract for the construction of a new line between a soon to be built Caracas Metro Parque del Este II station and the nearby twin cities Guarenas / Guatire with completion set for July 2012.Services
Other than human transportation itself, the Caracas Metro system also provides diverse services to public:Metrobus
The system possesses a complementary bus transit network called the Metrobus, which covers 20 urban routes and 4 suburban routes, with the aim of transporting users to other popular destinations in the Greater Caracas area that are not reached by subway, including bedroom communities close to the city.External ticket sale
A modality implanted by the enterprise that consists in the wholesaleWholesale
Wholesaling, jobbing, or distributing is defined as the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers, to industrial, commercial, institutional, or other professional business users, or to other wholesalers and related subordinated services...
of tickets used in the subway and in the Metrobús. An amount of tickets is sold to some middlemen, and these to authorized points of sale, such as kiosks and other commercial establishments. This allows subway users to buy tickets when not being inside a station, thus making them more widely available. The points of sale formally authorized for these operations are identified with the Metroseñal (Metro-sign). Tickets sold at such locals have a price discount of 3%.
Fares and types of tickets
The values for tickets depend mostly on the number of travels the user has planned. Thee are also special issues for students, and fares differ for the Metrobús usage. The types of tickets and their pricings are listed below.| Type | Coverage | Fare | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subway | One Way | One ride | Bs.F 0.50 (0.23 USD) | Valid for all stations |
| Return Trip | 2 rides | Bs.F 0.90 (0.41 USD) | Valid for all stations | |
| Multi-Abono | 10 rides | Bs.F 4.50 (2.09 USD) | 1 free ride AND valid for all stations | |
| Metrobús | Simple Integrated | Subway and one urban Metrobús route ride | Bs.F 0.70 (0.32 USD) | |
| Subway and one of the sub-urban Metrobús route ride | Bs.F 0.90 (0.41 USD) | Guarenas Guarenas Guarenas is a city in Miranda, Venezuela. It was established in 1621 as Nuestra Señora de Copacabana de los Guarenas. On February 27, 1989, a morning protest in this city over the recent nationwide hike in bus fares, spread to Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, which resulted in several days of... , La Rosa, San Antonio and Los Teques Los Teques Los Teques is the capital city of the Venezuelan state of Miranda. Its population is 140,617 .-History:The city was founded in 1777 and was named after the Aractoeques Carabs, an indigenous tribe that once inhabited the area... . |
||
| Multi-Abono Integrated | 10 rides, for subway and Metrobús |
Bs.F 6.00 (2.79 USD) | Not available for external sale |
Future expansions
The next phases of the Line 2 extension (also known as Line 5 during construction phase) will be constructed and opened by 2012. The first project a 7.5 km extension includes 6 new stations Bello Monte, Las Mercedes, Tamanaco, Chuao, Bello Campo and Parque del Este II station. A separate project to be carried out simultaneously , a further 6.7 km Line 2 extension (also known as Line 5 or Metro Guarenas-Guatire Urban Route during the construction phase) with 4 additional stations will include the following stations Montecristo, Boleíta, El Marques and terminal/transfer station La Urbina (Petare Norte).
The La Urbina station will be also be Caracas Guarenas-Guatire light rail transfer point. This 31.4 km long has already been assigned funds and is expected to be completed by 2012.
Long range plans contemplate expanding the system with two more lines: Line 5 (15 km long) to southeast Caracas, and Line 6 (17 km) that would run parallel to Line 1 to the north.
Incidents
- On July 30, 2007, after 24 years without a single accident, a collision took place that took the life of 1 person and injured 11 others. It was on Line 1 at Plaza Sucre station at 9:09 a.m. when a train headed in the Propatria direction stopped on the platform. It was hit from behind by another travelling in the same direction. Although there has been much speculation about the cause of the accident, it is clear that there was a defect in the emergency braking system; the operational control centre from the La Hoyada station never activated the automatic braking mechanism when a train approaches a second train.
- On November 12, 2010, 33 people were arrested after staging a protest at Propatria Station over increasingly deteriorating service on the Metro.