Granada Metro

The Granada Metro (Metro de Granada in Spanish) is a single light rail line in the city of Granada, Spain and its metropolitan area. It crosses Granada and covers the towns of Albolote, Maracena and Armilla,[4] with underground sections in central Granada and overground sections elsewhere.[5] The line opened on 21 September 2017,[6] and serves 26 stations, of which 3 stations in central Granada are underground.[6]

Granada Metro[1]
Granada Metro Alcázar Genil station.
Granada Metro Alcázar Genil station.
Overview
Native nameMetro de Granada – Metropolitano de Granada
OwnerAutonomous Government of Andalusia
LocaleGranada, Andalusia, Spain
Transit typeLight rail/Tramway
Number of lines1[1]
Number of stations26[1]
Daily ridership35,634 (weekdays)[2]
Annual ridership11.7 million (2019)[2]
WebsiteMetro de Granada
Operation
Began operation21 September 2017
Operator(s)Metro De Granada – Junta de Andalucía
Number of vehicles15 CAF Urbos light rail vehicles[3]
Technical
System length15.920 km (9.9 mi)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
System map

Map of Granada Metro.

Construction of the line began in 2007.[7] The metro was initially planned to open in early 2012, and by May 2011 the line was 73% completed.[7] However, funding ran out as a result of the Spanish economic crisis,[5] with only 250 million of the estimated 502 million euros total cost available. In 2012, the remaining funds were secured through a 260 million loan from the European Investment Bank.[4] and the planned date of completion was moved to early 2014.[4] However, further delays resulted in a shortfall in funding, which was only resolved on 1 July 2014.

The metro finally opened at noon 21 September 2017.[8][6]

Future expansion

Owing to the higher than expected ridership and success of the metro, extensions are proposed on the existing line; westward from Armilla splitting into two branches to Cúllar Vega and another to Alhendín, and northwest from Albolote to Pinos Puente and/or Atarfe and Santa Fe.[9] New lines from Granada city centre to Peligros, Ogíjares and Federico García Lorca Granada Airport are also proposed.[10]

Planned extensions of Granada metro in 2021.
  Current line 1
  Line 2
  Line 3

Network Map

References
  1. metropolitanogranada.es
  2. Granada Hoy (23 January 2020). "El Metro de Granada crece en pasajeros pero sigue sin alcanzar el objetivo anual". Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  3. "La Junta refuerza la campaña de seguridad vial del metro para avanzar en la convivencia de la ciudad con el nuevo transporte".
  4. La puesta en marcha del metro de Granada se retrasa hasta 2014, El País, 25 May 2012
  5. Spain election: Metro eyesore blights Granada, BBC News, 18 November 2011
  6. Barrow, Keith (21 September 2017). "Granada opens first light rail line". www.railjournal.com. International Railway Journal. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  7. Spain's town hall meltdown, The Independent, 30 October 2011
  8. "El metro de Granada entrará en funcionamiento en marzo de 2017 y costará menos de un euro | Vídeo". Granada Digital (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2017-09-21.
  9. "Posibles trazados de ampliación del metropolitano". Ideal.es (in Spanish). 23 July 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
  10. "Un objeto del deseo de más de 1.000 millones". Granada Hoy (in Spanish). 17 March 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2019.

Media related to Granada metro at Wikimedia Commons


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