Siemens Electrifies Metro Line in Ecuador

Line 1 will substantially improve daily commuting in the city, since it will provide direct routes from north (El Labrador) and south (Quitumbe) of the city into the downtown area and historical city center. The new metro route will considerably reduce commute time to these destinations. The line is scheduled to begin passenger service in summer 2019.

One of the highest metro systems in the world is currently being built in Quito. The city’s first metro line will run over 20 kilometers through the stretched-out capital of the South American country and operate at an elevation of more than 2,800 meters above sea level. Siemens will be responsible for the complete electrification of the new double-track Metro Line 1 that will connect the northern and southern parts of the city with 15 stations. The scope of the project includes about 46 kilometer of rigid catenary, six kilometer of flexible catenary, eleven traction power supply stations, 29 auxiliary power supply stations, and the SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system for monitoring and controlling the traction power supply.

The new rail system is an important step in the modernization of the city with over one and a half million population and is expected to transport more than 350,000 passengers a day when completed. The city’s current heavy volume of traffic regularly leads to traffic jams and smog. By providing a more environmentally friendly mass transit system, the city expects to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 30,000 tons a year.