At almost double its original budget and more than two years’ behind schedule, Guadalajara’s much-anticipated third Tren Ligero line is ready to open.
At press time, it was not confirmed if President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador would be present at the September 12 inauguration, although he had promised to be here to cut the ribbon.
One of Mexico’s most expensive infrastructure projects of the past decade, L3 started in August, 2014, and was expected to be completed by the fall of 2018. Sixteen trains will service the mostly above-ground 21.5-kilometer route running from just north of the city beltway (Periferico) in Zapopan to the main bus station in Tlaquepaque. The trains run underground as they race through the Guadalajara downtown area, stopping at five stations: Normal, Santuario, Catedral, Independencia Sur and Plaza de la Bandera. Other important stops include the Zapopan Basilica, Mercado del Mar (fish market) and Tlaquepaque Centro.
Originally slated at17.7 billion pesos, spending on the project totalled almost 31.2 billion pesos ($US1.4 billion) by its conclusion.
Although state and federal authorities say work on the line has finished, various stations exhibit unfinished touches.