Planning Works for Observatorio Station Have Started

Planning works for the Observatorio subway station have begun. The station is to become a mega-terminal that would connect with line 1 of the Metro System and the extensions of lines 9 and 12, as well as link with the Mexico-Toluca Interurban Train. 

According to the Ministry of Infrastructure Communication and Transportation (SICT), the Observatorio Complex is considered to become the most important public transportation hub in Mexico City. The companies that will carry out the so-called Intermodal Transportation Regulation Plan project are Consorcio Luyet and Ingenieria Servicios y Sistemas Aplicados, implementing an estimated investment of US$10 million. The plan’s engineering will conclude on March 31, 2023.

The companies will study the characteristics of the area and its surroundings, including the existing public transportation infrastructure. In the same vein, they will carry out legal studies to analyze the project’s concessions, as well as its potential environmental and urban impact, including strategies to mitigate adverse effects on vegetation and other infrastructure. 

The consortium will furthermore analyze possible road adaptations to link the station to the different transportation options. This includes the Minas de Arena and Rio Tacubaya underpasses, as well as access roads to Intermodal Hubs (CETRAMs).

The consortium must advise on the best locations for the Interurban Train’s terminal, as well as where lines 9 and 12 of the Metro System should be expanded. In addition, they have to evaluate the viability to link the complex with other public transportation such as the Cablebus and Trolleybus.

In Feb. 2022, the Mexico City government announced the expropriation of two properties toward the construction of Metro System Line 12’s expansion, which is to link the line with the Observatorio station of Line 1. The formalities for the process were completed in Jul. 2019, when the government approved a budget of US$100 million, as well as US$15 million for a link with Line 1 through Tacubaya metro station. 

In April 2022, the federal government signed an agreement to reallocate over US$447 million to facilitate the development of the Mexico-Toluca Interurban Train by constructing the Santa Fe and Observatorio stations. The project is expected to move over 230,000 passengers per day and reduce time travel by 90 minutes for a round trip. This project is expected to be finished by the end of 2023.