Compared to other systems like those in London or New York, the São Paulo Metro is a “young” system: in 2018, it celebrates 50 years since its creation – the two metros abroad opened their doors in 1863 and 1904, respectively, while the pioneer in Brazil began operations in September 1974.
The date is being celebrated with events at various stations and even the introduction of a new uniform for metro employees, in turquoise blue. At Sé station, a replica of a car from Fleet A, the first of the Metro and recently retired, will be on display to show what the first trains of the company looked like.
The São Paulo Metro enters its 5th decade full of challenges. During this period, the network has only reached 90 km in length – the mark of 100 km is expected to be achieved in 2018.
Today, the six existing lines transport about 5 million passengers, making the system one of the busiest in the world despite its length. This volume is very close to that of the New York subway, but with only 79 stations compared to the 472 of the New York system.
Despite the increase in failures in recent years, the Metro still enjoys an image of efficiency among the population, as shown by recent surveys where it is pointed out as the best transportation in the capital. However, the awareness that urban mobility today requires a denser network of tracks has put pressure on the company, which struggles to expand its lines at the necessary pace.
In its early decades of operation, the Metro was a central transport system restricted to certain regions, but with the advent of the unified ticket and the recapitalization of CPTM, the metropolitan train company, the lines of the company have become attractive to millions of users who today overcrowd various sections.
In these 50 years, the São Paulo Metro Company (its official name) is about to lose a good part of its lines. In addition to lines 5 and 17, already auctioned to the concessionaire Via Mobilidade, in June Line 15 was also transferred.
Whatever the scenario for the next 50 years, the fact is that the São Paulo Metro will need to accelerate its growth and prioritize lines and sections that can distribute passenger flow in a more organized and efficient manner. The company, which started as a municipal entity and was later transferred to the state, has a role that goes beyond operating the trains. It is the one that best understands the transportation needs in the metropolitan area and should be heard in any planning. It is hard to imagine Greater São Paulo without the Metro in these five decades, even if it is far from ideal.