Fortaleza Metro

Fortaleza Metro
Overview
Native name Metrô de Fortaleza
Locale Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil
Transit type Commuter rail
Number of lines 2[1]
Number of stations 28[1]
Website Metrô de Fortaleza
Operation
Began operation October 24, 2012
Operator(s) Metrofor
Technical
System length 43.0 km (26.7 mi)[1]
Track gauge 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) metre gauge
System map
Map of the Fortaleza Metro network (including planned lines).

The Fortaleza Metro (Portuguese: Metrô de Fortaleza, commonly called Metrofor) is the meter gauge 43-kilometer (27 mi) metropolitan rail system that operates in the city of Fortaleza in Ceará, Brazil. It is operated by Companhia Cearense Metropolitan Transport, which was founded in May 2, 1997, and is responsible for the management, construction and subway system planning in the city of Fortaleza and its metropolitan area. The system is administered by the state government and its president Romulo dos Santos Fort. The Fortaleza Metro system has been in operation since June 15, 2012, with the completion of the South Line, the first line of the system. The planned system will include: South (Central-Chico da Silva - Carlitos Benevides), East (Central-Chico da Silva - Edson Queiroz), West (Central-Chico da Silva - Caucaia), Mucuripe (Parangaba - Iate) and Maranguape (Jereissate - Maranguape). It is integrated with two of the city's seven intermodal terminals: Parangaba and Papicu, with Mucuripe port and the international airport Pinto Martins.

Background

The operator of the Fortaleza Metro, Metrofor, has been in the process of modernizing Fortaleza's rail network since 1999, with plans for improving the network going back to the 1980s. The project involved double tracking and electrification of two of the main passenger rail lines, installation of modern signalling and communications system, construction of new stations, and acquisition of new rolling stock, all with the goal of achieving higher frequency operations on the two lines. The upgraded rail network is expected to serve nearly 700,000 passengers a day.[2]

Improved service, with greater frequencies, was in place for Fortaleza's hosting of 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Operations

The existing Fortaleza rail infrastructure consists of 43 kilometers (27 mi) of rail route, comprising two lines:[1]

Lines

Line Termini Opened Length[1] Stations[1] Travel
time
(min)[1] 		Operation
South (Sul) Central – Chico da Silva ↔ Carlito Benevides[3] 2012 24.0 km (14.9 mi) 18[Note 1] 33 Opened, and in higher frequency operation.[4]
West (Oeste) Caucaia ↔ Central - Chico da Silva[5] 2014 19.0 km (11.8 mi) 10[Note 2] 30 Currently operational, but as a commuter rail line with lower frequencies.[6]
  1. ↑ Two additional stations are under construction.
  2. ↑ Additional stations are under construction.

Routes

The 24.0-kilometer (14.9 mi) long South Line[1] provides passenger services between Carlito Benevides in Maracanaú to Central – Chico da Silva in downtown Fortaleza. The Linha Sul (South Line) is the first of the two lines to be converted to higher frequency service, with headways of 27 minutes.[4] Its route has been diverted into a 4.0-kilometer (2.5 mi) long tunnel,[1] with 4 underground stations[1] all with 110 m (360 ft) long platforms, in the city center.[7]

The West Line, currently operating as a commuter rail line, is 19.0-kilometer (11.8 mi) long.[1] It begins at Caucaia and currently terminates at João Felipe, with plans to extend it to Central – Chico da Silva. It currently operates with train frequencies of 45 minutes.[6]

Stations

A train of Fortaleza Metro on the South Line.

Stations on the metro-standards South Line, from south to north:[7]

Rolling stock

The AnsaldoBreda rolling stock used on the system is similar to that used on the Circumvesuviana railway, in Naples, Italy. A total of 20 train-sets were expected to be delivered, and in service, by 2012.[2]

Future plans

East Line

A new totally underground line, the East (Leste) line, began construction on February 2014. Tunnel boring machines for the construction were provided by The Robbins Company.[8] Current plans are to complete this third metro line as follows:

Line Termini Planned
opening		 Length Stations Operation
East (Leste) Central – Chico da Silva ↔ Fórum Clóvis Beviláqua[9] 2019 12 km (7 mi) 13 In the bidding process to award the construction contract.

Light rail

A third rail line in the Fortaleza area, that runs between Macuripe and Parangaba and that currently operates as a cargo line, is in the process of being converted into a diesel light rail line.[10] There are also plans for a second shorter light rail line south of Fortaleza.

Line Termini Planned
opening		 Length Stations Operation
Parangaba Mucuripe Parangaba ↔ Mucuripe[11][12] 2014 12.7 km (7.9 mi)[10] 8[11] Under construction.
Maranguape Jereissati ↔ Maranguape[1][13] n/a 7.2 km (4.5 mi) 2 Under study.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Mapa das Linhas - Metrô de Fortaleza" (in Portuguese). Metrô de Fortaleza - METROFOR. Retrieved 2014-06-19.
  2. 1 2 "Fortaleza Metro Rail Project, Brazil". Railway-Technology.com. Retrieved 2014-06-18.
  3. ↑ "Metrô de Fortaleza Linha Sul" (in Portuguese). Metrô de Fortaleza - METROFOR. Retrieved 2014-06-19.
  4. 1 2 "HORÁRIO DA PARTIDA DOS TRENS CARLITO BENEVIDES - CHICO DA SILVA" [DEPARTURE TIME OF TRAINS CARLITO BENEVIDES - CHICO DA SILVA] (pdf) (in Portuguese). Metrô de Fortaleza - METROFOR. Retrieved 2014-10-11.
  5. ↑ "Metrô de Fortaleza Linha Oeste" (in Portuguese). Metrô de Fortaleza - METROFOR. Retrieved 2014-06-19.
  6. 1 2 "Horário de Partida dos Trens do Centro para Caucaia a partir do dia 28/05/2012" [Departure Time of Trains Centro to Caucaia from the date 28/05/2012] (pdf) (in Portuguese). Metrô de Fortaleza - METROFOR. 28 May 2012. Retrieved 2014-10-11.
  7. 1 2 "Fortaleza". UrbanRail.net. Retrieved 2014-06-18.
  8. ↑ "World rail infrastructure market September 2012". Railway Gazette International. 24 September 2012. Retrieved 2014-11-16.
  9. ↑ "Porto e metrô expandidos" [Port and metro expanded]. Negócios Diário do Nordeste (in Portuguese). 25 February 2011. Retrieved 2014-06-20.
  10. 1 2 "Fortaleza World Cup rail link on schedule". Global Rail News (Rail Media). 19 February 2013. Retrieved 2014-06-21.
  11. 1 2 "Metrô de Fortaleza Ramal Parangaba Mucuripe" (in Portuguese). Metrô de Fortaleza - METROFOR. Retrieved 2014-06-21.
  12. ↑ "Duas novas linhas previstas" [Two new lines planned]. Negócios Diário do Nordeste (in Portuguese). 20 September 2007. Retrieved 2014-06-20.
  13. ↑ "Plano Estratégico" [Strategic Plan] (in Portuguese). Metrô de Fortaleza - METROFOR. Retrieved 2014-06-20.

External links

Media related to Fortaleza Metro at Wikimedia Commons

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