Santa Marta-Chalco Trolleybus Line 11 Officially Opens

On May 18, Line 11 of the Trolleybus network, connecting Santa Marta in Mexico City to Chalco in the State of Mexico, was officially launched. Operated by Mexico City’s Electric Transport Service (STE), the new line began service at 5:00 AM, offering a modern, sustainable, and efficient transportation alternative.

Spanning 18.5km, this route begins in the Iztapalapa borough of Mexico City and extends to the municipality of Chalco. In its first stage, the line includes key stations such as Parque de la Mujer, Cuauhtemoc, Puente Rojo, Jose Maria Martinez, Amalinalco, and ends at Chalco.

Passengers can make seamless intermodal transfers thanks to its strategic connection at Santa Marta station with Metro Line A, Cablebús Line 2, RTP bus routes, and other transportation modes operating within the CETRAM terminal.

Line 11 currently runs between Santa Marta and Chalco, as well as from Constitucion de 1917 to Chalco. Service hours are from 4:30 AM to 12:30 AM, Monday through Saturday, and from 5:00 AM to midnight on Sundays and public holidays. The fare is set at MX$13 (US$0.67), with free access for children under five, people with disabilities, and seniors over 60.

One of the standout features of the Santa Marta–Chalco Trolleybus is its dedicated lane, which reduces travel time from two hours to just 30 minutes, without requiring transfers. Once fully operational, the route will have 13 stations and two terminals, vastly improving connectivity between Eastern State of Mexico and Mexico City.

Before opening, the line underwent rigorous static and dynamic testing on May 17, supervised by the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications, and Transport (SICT). These evaluations ensured the structural integrity and operational safety of the elevated viaduct by simulating various load conditions with trolleybuses running at different speeds and weights. Sensors recorded vibrations and accelerations to verify the system’s performance under real-life conditions.

The project is expected to benefit nearly 3 million residents of the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (ZMVM), with an estimated daily ridership of 196,000 people, 120,000 from the State of Mexico (primarily Chalco, Valle de Chalco, Ixtapaluca, La Paz, and Nezahualcoyotl) and 76,000 from Iztapalapa.

SICT contributed to constructing a key segment of the elevated viaduct: 590m above the Mexico–Puebla highway, 126m of curved viaduct, and 40% of the Santa Marta station infrastructure.