Balbuena metro station
Balbuena metro station is a station of the Mexico City Metro in the city's borough of Venustiano Carranza. It is an underground stop with two side platforms serving Line 1 between Moctezuma and Boulevard Puerto Aéreo. It was inaugurated on 4 September 1969, and opened the following day, providing service west toward Chapultepec and service east toward [Zaragoza metro metro station|station (Mexico City)|Zaragoza].
Balbuena metro station services the Colonia of Jardín Balbuena and Moctezuma 1ª sección, along Calzada Ignacio Zaragoza. Its pictogram depicts the silhouette of four four-petaled flowers, symbolizing the Balbuena Garden in the neighborhood of the same name, from which the station takes its name. The station facilities offer accessibility for people with disabilities, featuring elevators, escalators, tactile pavings and wheelchair ramps. Outside, there is a transportation hub servicing local bus routes.
It was closed from July 2022 to October 2023 due to modernization works on the tunnel and the line's technical equipment. In 2025, Balbuena metro station had an average daily ridership of 7,318 passengers, ranking it the 160th busiest station in the network.
Location and layout
Balbuena is an underground metro station located along Calzada Ignacio Zaragoza, in the Venustiano Carranza borough of Mexico City. The stop serves two Colonia, Jardín Balbuena and Moctezuma 1ª sección. The station's pictogram depicts the silhouette of four four-petaled flowers, representing the nearby Balbuena Garden park, which was named after Bernardo de Balbuena, a Spanish poet known for his work "La grandeza mexicana".Balbuena metro station has two exits leading to Calzada Ignacio Zaragoza. The north exit is near Calle 17 in Colonia Moctezuma 1ª sección, and the south one at the corner of Avenida de la Portilla in Colonia Jardín Balbuena. The building offers accessible service for people with disabilities with elevators, escalators, wheelchair ramps and tactile pavings.
Balbuena metro station is located between Moctezuma and Boulevard Puerto Aéreo stations on the line. The area receives service from the adjacent Centro de transferencia modal, the stop's transportation hub, which connects to various transit routes.
History and construction
Line 1 of the Mexico City Metro was built by Ingeniería de Sistemas de Transportes Metropolitano, Electrometro and Cometro, the latter being a subsidiary of Empresas ICA. Its first section, where Balbuena metro station is located, was inaugurated on 4 September 1969, running from Chapultepec to Zaragoza metro stations, and opened to the general public the following day. The tunnel between Balbuena and Boulevard Puerto Aéreo spans, while the section towards Moctezuma measures.Balbuena metro station underwent renovation works in 2016, which included the installation of antibacterial porcelain panels and LED lighting. In addition, leaks were sealed and electrical panels were replaced as part of the upgrade. The station was closed on 11 July 2022 for modernization work on the line's tunnel and technical equipment. After fifteen months of renovations, authorities reopened Balbuena station on 29 October 2023. Excélsior reported in July 2024 that all the modernized stations had leaks of varying dimensions, with containers placed under the leaks at Balbuena station. Authorities had previously stated that these leaks would be sealed during the 2022 modernization works.