Mexico City Cablebus Line 2 joins the Guinness Book of Records

Line 2 of Mexico City's Cablebus received the Guinness World Record certification as the longest public transportation route via cable car in the world and the most widely used means of transport of its kind. This is the result of exceeding 10.5 kilometers in length and 50,000 daily users, making it a global benchmark for low-cost urban mobility and reducing travel times in the eastern zone of the Mexican capital.

This distinction is the result of a shared effort between Alfa Proveedores y Contratistas S.A. de C.V., Leitner, and the government of Mexico City, to position itself in less than two months as the transport of its kind with the highest occupancy in the world with more than 2 million users in its first 40 days of operation, a figure that serves as a parameter to measure the benefit that a work of this magnitude will have in the coming years.

Line 2 of the Mexico City Cablebus runs in both directions between the Constitución de 1917 and Santa Martha stations in the Iztapalapa district, the most populated area of the city, with close to 2 million inhabitants, so its location is key to its impact. Inaugurated on August 8 by the head of government of Mexico City, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, the Cablebus has not only burst in as an efficient means of transportation but also as another element of the urban landscape that since then distinguishes this area of the country's capital.

Prices and schedules

Line 1 of the Cablebus was finally inaugurated in Mexico City. The following are the details about the stations, schedules, fares, and even who is exempt from paying for the service. The service schedule is from 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Monday to Friday; from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Saturdays; and from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Sundays and holidays.

The line, which had an investment of 2,925 million pesos, will run from Indios Verdes to Cuautepec, in the upper area of the Gustavo A. Madero district. It has six stations: Indios Verdes, Ticomán, La Pastora, Campos Revolución, Cuautepec and Tlalpexco, which will cover 9.2 kilometers.

It also connects with Metro Line 1 and Metrobus Line 2 in a 33-minute trip, which used to take an hour and a half or more, depending on traffic. The capital authorities contemplate that it will transport up to 144,000 users in 377 cabins with a capacity of up to 10 people each; however, for the moment it will only operate with 60%, to be able to keep a healthy distance.

The speed at which the cabins will travel is 6 meters per second, by means of 62 towers distributed along the route (the highest one measures 47 meters).

According to the Ministry of Mobility (Semovi), access to this new transportation system will cost 7 pesos regardless of the section traveled and payment will be only through the integrated mobility card; however, users who wish to transfer to the Metro or Metrobus must pay the respective fare. However, the following persons will be exempted from paying the 7 pesos:

Persons sixty years of age or older have a document or identification that proves it.

Persons with disabilities who have the Free Card, document, or identification issued by a competent authority that certifies such condition or that some disability is evident.

Children under five years of age.

Members of the Community Participation Commission of Mexico City who have the proper accreditation.

Members of the Network of Citizen Comptrollers who are duly accredited by the Secretariat of the Comptroller General of Mexico City.

These exemptions will not be extended to family members or companions of the beneficiaries. This transportation will be able to operate in different conditions, with rain or strong winds, and it also has a complete safety model.

There is constant monitoring to detect potential problems ahead of time, for example, he mentioned that when a 15 m/s wind gust arrives, an alarm is immediately activated, which if exceeded, users will have to be evacuated to the nearest station, they will not be left in the air. The same if there is an earthquake. In the case of thunderstorms, there is also a 44 km radius in which the exact proximity of a storm is detected and the procedure is the same: people arrive at a station, and at that moment they go down.

During the first year of service, Line 1 of the cable car will be operated by the Austrian company Doppelmayr, which together with the Mexican company Grupo Indi was in charge of building this route. Doppelmayr has more than 130 years of experience in the industry and is present in 96 countries, with 15,100 transport systems installed to date, all with a clean record. They currently transport more than 10 million passengers per hour.