Siemens electrifies metro line in Ecuador

Siemens has been commissioned by the Acciona-Odebrecht construction consortium to electrify the entire Metro Line 1 in Ecuador’s capital of Quito. Line 1 will substantially improve daily commuting in the city, since it will provide direct routes from north (El Labrador) and south (Quitumbe) of the city into the downtown area and historical city center. The new metro route will considerably reduce commute time to these destinations. The line is scheduled to begin passenger service by summer 2019. One of the highest metro systems in the world is currently being built in Quito. The city’s first metro line will run over 20 kilometers through the stretched-out capital of the South American country and operate at an elevation of more than 2,800 meters above sea level. Siemens will be responsible for the complete electrification of the new double-track Metro Line 1 that will connect the northern and southern parts of the city with 15 stations.  The scope of the project includes 46.5 km of rigid catenary, 6 km of flexible catenary, 11 Traction Power Supply stations, 29 Secondary Power Supply stations and Energy SCADA System. The new rail system is an important step in the modernization of the city with over one and a half million population and is expected to transport more than 350,000 passengers a day when completed. The city’s current heavy volume of traffic regularly leads to traffic jams and smog. By providing a more environmentally friendly mass transit system, the city expects to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 30,000 tons a year.