Quito Metro Line 1

Line 1 of the Quito Metro is the first metro line of Quito, the capital of Ecuador. It connects the southern terminal at Quitumbe with the northern station at El Labrador, spanning 22.6 km entirely underground. It has 15 stations and is the backbone of the city's rapid transit system.

Overview

Line 1 is part of Quito's long-term effort to improve public transportation and reduce traffic congestion. It integrates with other systems such as the Ecovía and Trolebús, and is operated by the municipal company Empresa Pública Metropolitana Metro de Quito.

History

Planning began in the late 2000s as part of a mobility master plan for the city. Construction started in 2013 and included tunnel boring and excavation through the historic center. Although the tunnels were completed by 2019, full commercial operations only began on December 1, 2023.
The project was financed with support from the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank, the European Investment Bank, and CAF.

Stations

The following is a list of the 15 stations on Line 1:

Station	Neighborhood	Connections
Quitumbe	Quitumbe	Southern intercity bus terminal
Morán Valverde	Chillogallo	Urban buses
Solanda	Solanda	Feeder bus lines
Cardenal de la Torre	Chimbacalle	Trolleybus
El Recreo	La Magdalena	Ecovía
La Magdalena	La Magdalena	Local buses
San Francisco	Historic Center	Tourist zone
La Alameda	Itchimbía	Trolleybus
El Ejido	Mariscal	Trolleybus, universities
Universidad Central	Universidad	Central University of Ecuador
Pradera	Iñaquito	Business and hotel district
La Carolina	Iñaquito	Carolina Park, shopping centers
Iñaquito	Iñaquito	Public offices
Jipijapa	Jipijapa	Local buses
El Labrador	El Labrador	Planned intermodal terminal

Rolling stock

Line 1 operates 18 trains manufactured by CAF. Each train has six cars and can carry up to 1,500 passengers. The trains are equipped with air conditioning, CCTV, and accessibility features.

Operations

Service runs approximately every 5 to 10 minutes. The full journey from Quitumbe to El Labrador takes about 34 minutes. The system uses a contactless fare card integrated with the city’s bus networks.

Funding

The total cost of the project is estimated at US$2 billion. Funding was provided by multiple international institutions, including the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank, the European Investment Bank, and CAF.