Metro de Medellín

Infobox Public transit
name = Metro de Medellín


imagesize =
locale = Medellín
transit_type = Rapid transit
began_operation = 1995
ended_operation =
system_length = km to mi|32|abbr=yes|precision=1
lines = 2 + 3 Metrocable lines
vehicles =
stations = 25 + 6 of Metrocable
ridership =
track_gauge =
reporting marks =
operator = Metro de Medellín
owner =

The Metro de Medellín is an urban train that crosses the Metropolitan Area of Medellín from North to South and from Centre to West. As one of the first experiences of modern mass transportation in Colombia, the Metro of Medellín is a product of the urban planning of the Antioquia. The city of Medellín and its urban complex (ten cities in the Aburrá Valley), is a city with relatively recent industrial development that started in the 1930’s. The streetcar ("tranvía") at the beginning of the 20th Century can be considered as predeccesor of the 21st century Metro of Medellín. The company known in Spanish as "Empresa de Transporte Masivo del Valle de Aburrá" - "Metro de Medellín Ltda" was created on May 31, 1979.

History

The railway history in Colombia and Antioquia has not been indifferent to the industrialization process that started at the end of the 19th Century and that only has been restrained by the social and political conflicts of this South American nation.

The Antioquia Department and the Paisa Region in general, owe their progress to the construction of railways that had put them in direct contact with the rest of the country (especially with the Capital, Cali and the Colombian Caribbean Littoral).

Although the famous "Ferrocarriles de Antioquia" (The Antioquia’s Railways) came to a pitiful decline and it is only remembered by the so called "towns of the train", the urban train got the attention of the region. In the same way the Antioquia’s Railways did a Century ago, the Metro of Medellín became an important social, cultural and developer axle of one of the most important cities of Colombia and South America.

The speedy urban growing of the city, especially since the 1960’s, has filled the entire Aburrá Valley and made towns touched their borders: Bello, Copacabana, Girardota, Barbosa, Envigado, Itagüí, San Antonio de Prado, La Estrella, Sabaneta and Caldas, among others. It put the city in the front of the national economic and compelled local leaders to think not more in a provincial town but in a complex urban system that can be compared with any other industrialized city in the world.

In the same sense, Medellín and its Metropolitan Area had to face the appearance of the mafia during the 1970’s producing serious problems of urban violence as a result of that speedy urban growing and the slow answer to the needs of the popular communities. The city grew due to big migration waves coming from the Colombian countryside looking refuge in the city because the internal political conflict. That was the main background that would explain how a young city would face urban violence with the same intensity of big polis as New York, México or Rio de Janeiro and why the city had to create urban projects in answer to its conflicts and growing. The Metro of Medellín was created not only as a massive urban transport for the worker classes of the city, but also as an important cultural axle that would help to the inclusion of marginalized sectors. The Metro would change the concept of public space in a city built for business and factories, but that did not have space for things like tourism as a systematic issue.

As a company, the Metro of Medellín was created for the administration and operation of the Metro system. It was founded with the association of the Medellín Municipality and the Antioquia Government. In 1979 it was started the research on the economical and technical possibilities. Such researches were made by "Mott, Hay & Anderson Ltda" firm.

In 1980 the Project was presented to the National Government and it was approved by the National Counsel of Economical and Social Policies in 1982. It was also authorized to the company the external contract of 100% of the required resources for the work. In 1984 the company contracted German and Spaniard firms.

On November 30, 1995, 11:00 (local time), began the first journey between Niquía and Poblado Stations. The net was concluded by 1996.

Soon the population welcomed the new service and the social and cultural impact was important. The Metro of Medellín became soon a symbol of the city (it was the first Metro in Colombia) and an encouragement to tourism and new spaces for a city of business. There were visitors first from other regions and cities of Colombia and after from abroad. Other important issue was the knowledge of other realities of the city that before were hidden as the contrast among the “Poor city” and the “Rich city”, when the Metro crosses abysmal social walls between districts as "Lovaina" and "Poblado".

The concept of time has been altered also in the city: Before a worker from Bello spent two hours by bus going to Envigado. With the Metro, the distance among those two cities became just 30 minutes.

In 2004 the city saw the inauguration of a new line known as "Metro Cable" (Line K). The line starts in the Acevedo Station and goes to the up hill district of Santo Domingo Savio. It is meant an important fact: the Metro was integrating those families that had come to the city since the 1960's and were most of the time emigrated and unknown before that that was hold as the "real city".

Besides it, the Metro of Medellín has created public and cultural spaces along its lines: squares, restaurants, parks, recreational places, cultural areas, business sites, giving a new vision to the second largest Colombian city.

In 2008 a second "Metro Cable" line (Line J) was inaugurated. The line starts in the San Javier Station and goes through Juan XXIII and Vallejuelos to the La Aurora district. This new line benefits around 150.000 new users.

A new "Metro Cable" line (line S) will be bulit and it's expected to be inaugurated in 2009. A transference station will be built at Santo Domingo Savio Station. This line will continue further uphill and will reach El Tambo in Arví park near Guarne. The reason for constructing this line is because the city wants to promote tourism in the rural area near Lake Guarne. It will take 14 minutes to ascend to El Tambo and there won't be any intermediate stations.

Line A will also be expanded in Itagüí and Sabaneta till 2010. A new intermediate station will be built near 67th Sur Street and the final station will be built near 77th Sur Street.

Lines

In 1995 the Metro of Medellín had 25 stations: 19 in the Line A and 6 in the Line B "(one of transference)". In 2004 Line K began operation with 4 stations "(one of transference)". It is an aerial cable called Metrocable. Line J also has 4 stations "(one of transference)".

As of 2008, there are 31 stations and there will be 32 stations by 2009 and 34 by 2010.

[http://www.metrodemedellin.org.co/media/images/contenidos/mcab09.jpgMap of the system]

tations

The official list of the Stations of the Metro of Medellín. In black the Stations of transition to other lines.

ee also

* List of rapid transit systems
*Metrocable

References

External links

* [http://www.metrodemedellin.org.co The official webpage of the Metro de Medellín] es
* [http://www.medellin.gov.co/ The city's official government webpage] es
* [http://www.civica.com.co Civica, the official webpage of the AFC of Metro de Medellín] es
* [http://www.medellininfo.com/metro/ Metro-Metrocable+photos]
* [http://www.urbanrail.net/am/mede/medellin.htm Metro de Medellín] at [http://urbanrail.net urbanrail.net]