Jalisco Governor Aristoteles Sandoval this week reviewed a replica of one of the new carriages that will be used on the metro area’s third Tren Ligero (subway) line, due for completion by the end of next year.
The wagon is on public display through this weekend in the Plaza Juan Pablo II facing the Zapopan Basilica, and will subsequently be shown in other metro-area municipalities.
“This will be the most efficient and modern transport in the city,” Sandoval said after inspecting the air-conditioned carriage.
Eighteen trains, each with three carriages, will ply the 21-kilometer route, which will run from the northern periferico in Zapopan to the Tonala bus station. The trains will have a maximum speed of 80 kilometers per hour and cover the route in around 40 minutes.
The tunnel being burrowed below the Guadalajara city center for the five-station underground stretch of the new line has advanced 200 meters, says Tren Eléctrico Director Rodolfo Guadalajara Gutiérrez. Tunneling began in April.
Meanwhile, businesses in the city center are suffering tremendously from the fall out caused by the construction of the subway line, according to Alejandro Salas, the downtown delegate for the Chamber of Commerce. Most outlets have seen trade drop by 50 percent and as many as 30 businesses have closed their doors, he says. He is urging authorities to speed up the work and open Avenida 16 de Septiembre to traffic as soon as possible.