Fortaleza Metro


The Metropolitan of Fortaleza, also known popularly as Metro of Fortaleza or Metrofor, is a system of metropolitan transport that operates in the Brazilian city of Fortaleza, operated by Companhia Cearense de Transportes Metropolitanos, company of social capital, captained by the Government of the State of Ceará, in Brazil, and has as current president Eduardo Hotz. Founded on May 2, 1997, the company is responsible for administration, construction and metro planning in the state of Ceará, being present in the systems of Sobral and Cariri, having its main activity in Fortaleza and its metropolitan region.
According to data released in December 2016, the system is the sixth largest in Brazil among the 12 Brazilian metropolitan regions that have passenger rail transport, having in the period 43.6 kilometers behind São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Recife, Porto Alegre and Natal. The FMR lines represent 4.3% of the total network of subways and trains of Brazil that, in 2015, was of 1,062 km of extension.
Even though it is the sixth largest in extension, the Fortaleza subway is the fifth that least transports users in the country, having conveyed 6.5 million people in 2015, a daily average of 23.3 thousand passengers in its two lines in operation that year. This amount increased 86.8% since 2011. On the weekdays, in the annual average, there was an increase of 712.1% compared to 2011. Data obtained in the South Line show that the year 2016 ended with almost 800 thousand more passengers, compared to the previous year. From January to December 2015, 4.6 million people were transported. By 2016, that number jumped to 5.4 million. The growth is 17%, or 798,900 more passengers. The West Line, also saw passenger growth, jumping from 1.7 million in 2015 to 1.8 million in 2016. In this case, the increase was 97.4 thousand passengers, or 5.4% of the total. Continuing to increase, Line Sul recorded a 19.8% increase in the number of passengers transported in 2017 compared to 2016. The index considers total subway users from January to December. In total, there were 6.5 million people attended last year, compared to the value presented in 2016.
Fortaleza Metrô started its operations on June 15, 2012, in assisted operation. Since the commercial operation began on October 1, 2014, with ticket charges, it was fixed at the same value in force in the Integrated System of Transport of Fortaleza, being at that time 2,40. Currently in operation 19 of the 20 stations planned for the South Line, in commercial operation, 9 stations of West Line metropolitan trains are 4 of the 10 stations designed by the Parangaba-Mucuripe VLT, operating in assisted operation with passenger transportation in the period from 6 in the morning until noon without charge of tickets. Possessing a projected extension of 69.4 kilometers distributed in 4 lines, connected by 52 stations, mostly under construction or in design. The following lines are part of the system: East Line, West Line South Line . The system was designed to integrate with two of the city's seven bus terminals, Parangaba and Papicu, and to connect to the passenger terminal at Mucuripe Port and Fortaleza International Airport.

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.

Operations

The existing Fortaleza rail infrastructure consists of of rail route, comprising two lines:

Lines

LineTerminiOpenedLengthStationsTravel
time
Operation
South Central – Chico da Silva ↔ Carlito Benevides20121833Opened, and in higher frequency operation.
West Caucaia ↔ Central - Chico da Silva20141030Currently operational, but as a commuter rail line with lower frequencies.

Routes

The long South Line provides passenger services between Carlito Benevides in Maracanaú to Central – Chico da Silva in downtown Fortaleza. The Linha Sul is the first of the two lines to be converted to higher frequency service, with headways of 27 minutes. Its route has been diverted into a long tunnel, with 4 underground stations all with long platforms, in the city center.
The West Line, currently operating as a commuter rail line, is long. 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.

Stations

Stations on the metro-standards South Line, from south to north:
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.

Future plans

East Line

A new totally underground line, the East line, was expected to begin construction in 2018, with the contract for its constructions awarded to Sacyr and Ferrera Guedes, with an estimated construction time of 48 months. Tunnel boring machines for the construction were announced to be provided by The Robbins Company in 2012, but construction stalled. Current plans are to complete this third metro line as follows:
LineTerminiPlanned
opening		LengthStationsOperation
East Central – Chico da Silva ↔ Fórum Clóvis BeviláquaTBD13Under construction

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. As of 2018, the line is partially in operation.
LineTerminiOpenedLengthStationsOperation
Parangaba MucuripeParangaba ↔ Iate201710In operation