Buenos Aires Metro
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The Buenos Aires Metro (locally known as Subte, from "subterráneo", Spanish for underground) is a mass-transit network that serves the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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[edit] History
The system is currently managed by the private transit company Metrovías. Its first station was inaugurated on December 1, 1913 making it the oldest metro system in Latin America, the Southern Hemisphere, and the entire Spanish-speaking world. It grew rapidly in the early years of the century, but work on extending the network did, however, stagnate in the years following World War II. Initially managed by three different companies (line A was managed by Anglo-Argentine Tramway Company, line B was managed by Lacroze Hnos. y Cia. and lines C, D and E were managed by CHADOPyF -Hispano-Argentine Company of Public Works and Finances-), the entire network was centralized and nationalised during the late 1930s under the management of the Transport Corporation of Buenos Aires (CTBA) which in 1952 was absorbed by the Buenos Aires Transport General Administration (AGTBA). In 1963 the administration was dissolved and the subway network became property of the Subterráneos de Buenos Aires (SBA) company (later SBASE). In 1994 the service was privatised (the stations remain property of SBASE) and is now managed by Metrovías S.A.
[edit] Current Network
The current network comprises five underground lines (labelled "A" to "E", and further identified by different colours), covering a total track length of 48.9 km. There is also one surface light rail line (the premetro). Under the current usage patterns, the entire system - operated by private contractor Metrovías - is overtaxed, and during weekdays overcrowded and under serviced. An expansion program is planned, and it is expected to expand to 89 km by 2011. Daily ridership is 1,3 million and on the increase.
Fares are cheap (70 centavos, or about 23 U.S. cents) and are in fact cheaper than the city buses. While tokens have been used in the past, at present, riders purchase either single-use or multi-use cards with a magnetic strip.
- Línea A Opened to the public on 14 December 1913, 7.13 km, 14 stations.
- Línea B Opened on 17 October 1930, 8.94 km, 15 stations.
- Línea C Opened on 9 November 1934, 4.4 km, 9 stations.
- Línea D Opened on 3 June 1937, 10.41 km. 16 stations.
- Línea E Opened on 20 June 1944, 9.2 km, 15 stations.
- Línea F (planned)
- Línea G (planned)
- Línea H (under construction) scheduled to open in late 2007, 4.4 km, 10 stations.
- Línea I (planned)
- Línea K (planned)
- Premetro Opened on 27 August 1987, 7.4 km.
[edit] In popular culture
The metro is featured in 1996 science fiction movie Moebius directed by Gustavo Mosquera. In the movie, circumstances of disappearance of a metro train are being investigated by a topologist. The movie is based upon the short story "A subway named Möbius"that takes place in the Boston Subway.
