Metro de Panama orders 70 extra metro cars for Line 1

Metro de Panama SA has awarded an Alstom consortium consisting of Thales, Sofratesa, CIM and TSO a contract to supply 70 additional metro cars for Line 1 of Panama Metro.

Alstom will supply 70 new metro cars for the Panama Metro Line 1 in a contract worth €130 million. In addition Alstom will update the existing signalling solution and the power supply and increase the size of the depot.

Delivery of the new cars to Metro de Panama will begin in early 2017

Panama’s metro line 1 officially opened in April 2014 crossing the city from north to south over a 16km stretch. Since its inauguration, ridership has reached 200,000 passengers per day who use the 14 stations along the route. With the new cars, Metro de Panama will extend the metro trainsets from three cars to five while adding six trainsets, bringing the number of metros circulating on the line to 26.

Michel Boccaccio, Senior Vice President of Alstom in Latin America, said: “Line 1 of Panama Metro is a great success and Alstom is pleased to be part of it and we thank Panama Metro for placing their trust in us. The new Metropolis cars will increase the fleet’s capacity, smooth traffic flow and enhance passengers’ travelling experience.”

Alstom will supply Metropolis vehicles for Panama which feature wide doors, large gangways and a low floor for optimum passenger flows. In addition, the metro trainset features large seats and dynamic information displays to enhance passenger experience. Alstom will equip the six new trainsets with Urbalis 400 – Alstom’s communications-based train control (CBTC) solution – as well as updating the solution on the ground as the trainsets are longer. Furthermore, the depot will be extended to accommodate the bigger fleet.